Assessment of the knowledge, attitude, and practices of frontliners toward community-acquired pneumonia in the Cagayan, Philippines
Paper Details
Assessment of the knowledge, attitude, and practices of frontliners toward community-acquired pneumonia in the Cagayan, Philippines
Abstract
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at elevated risk of respiratory infections due to their close proximity to patients and exposure to respiratory secretions. Despite the high prevalence and significant impact of (Community-acquired pneumonia) CAP, there is limited information on how well front-liners adhere to prevention and control measures, influenced by their (Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices) KAP. A cross-sectional study via a validated questionnaire was conducted involving 385 randomly selected front liners. The results indicated a low level of knowledge regarding the cause and transmission of CAP, with a categorical mean of 59.08%. Although most respondents correctly identified that CAP is caused by bacteria, awareness of other transmission methods was moderate to low. Knowledge about clinical manifestations of CAP was moderate, with high recognition of common symptoms but significant gaps in awareness of less obvious signs. Respondents demonstrated a moderate understanding of CAP treatment and management, particularly regarding the use of antibiotics and preventive measures like vaccination and hand hygiene. The correlation analysis revealed weak but significant relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and practices, suggesting that while knowledge influences attitudes and practices, other factors also play crucial roles. These results suggest that enhancing knowledge could positively influence attitudes and practices. The study underscores the need for targeted educational programs to improve the KAP of front liners regarding CAP, which is crucial for effective infection control and prevention in healthcare settings.
Ajzen I. 1991. The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50(2), 179–211.
Ahmed F, Tran TM, Watler B. 2022. Managing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study of health care workers’ perceived organizational support and its consequences on their compassion, resilience and turnover intention. Journal of Nursing Management 30(7), 2642–2652. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13824
Bandura A. 1997. Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.
Bae HS. 2020. Ways in which healthcare interior environments are associated with perceived safety against infectious diseases and coping behaviours. Journal of Hospital Infection 106(1), 107–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.06.022
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2019. Pneumonia can be prevented—Vaccines can help. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/prevention.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2020. Hand hygiene in healthcare settings. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/index.html
Chu DK, Akl EA, Duda S, Solo K, Yaacoub S, Schünemann HJ. 2020. Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet 395(10242), 1973–1987.
Coffin S, Klompas M, Classen D, Arias KM, Podgorny K, Anderson DJ. 2008. Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in acute care hospitals. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 29(S1), S31–S40. https://doi.org/10.1086/591062
Dancer SJ. 2014. Controlling hospital-acquired infection: Focus on the role of the environment and new technologies for decontamination. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 27(4), 665–690.
File TM, Marrie TJ, Burden of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in North American Adults Study Group. 2014. Burden of community-acquired pneumonia in North American adults. Postgraduate Medicine 126(6), 30–43.
Glanz K, Rimer BK, Viswanath K. 2008. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Johnson L, McCoy C, Holmes M. 2010. Variations in frontline workers’ knowledge of community-acquired pneumonia transmission: A multi-center study. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 30(1), 45–56.
Larson HJ, Jarrett C, Eckersberger E, Smith DM, Paterson P. 2014. Understanding vaccine hesitancy around vaccines and vaccination from a global perspective: A systematic review of published literature, 2007–2012. Vaccine 32(19), 2150–2159.
Mandell LA, Wunderink RG, Anzueto A, Bartlett JG, Campbell GD, Dean NC. 2007. Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guidelines on the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Clinical Infectious Diseases 44(Supplement_2), S27–S72.
Martinez-Gonzalez MA, Hershey MS, Zazpe I, Trichopoulou A. 2015. Transferability of the Mediterranean diet to non-Mediterranean countries: What is and what is not the Mediterranean diet. Nutrients 7(12), 5806–5838.
McEachan RR, Conner M, Taylor NJ, Lawton RJ. 2011. Prospective prediction of health-related behaviors with the Theory of Planned Behavior: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review 5(2), 97–144.
Patel S, Orenstein W. 2018. Addressing misconceptions in community-acquired pneumonia knowledge among healthcare personnel: A critical need for training programs. Annals of Global Health 10, 78–91.
Pender NJ, Murdaugh CL, Parsons MA. 2011. Health Promotion in Nursing Practice. Pearson.
Preti E, Di Mattei V, Perego G, Ferrari F, Mazzetti M, Taranto P. 2020. The psychological impact of epidemic and pandemic outbreaks on healthcare workers: Rapid review of the evidence. Current Psychiatry Reports 22(8), 43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01166-z
Rosenstock IM. 1974. Historical origins of the Health Belief Model. Health Education Monographs 2(4), 328–335.
Sánchez LJ, McLaughlin T, Kosche K. 2015. Respiratory infections in the U.S. military: Recent experience and control. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 28(3), 743–800. DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00039-14
Smith A, Brown R, Johnson L. 2019. Knowledge gaps and misconceptions of frontline workers about community-acquired pneumonia: Implications for patient care. Journal of Infectious Diseases 25, 123–136.
Torres A, Peetermans WE, Viegi G, Blasi F. 2015. Risk factors for community-acquired pneumonia in adults in Europe: A literature review.
Thorax 68(11), 1057–1065.
Waterer GW, Rello J, Wunderink RG. 2011. Management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 183(2), 157–164.
World Health Organization (WHO). 2012. Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia (GAPP). World Health Organization.
Zar HJ, Madhi SA, Aston SJ, Gordon SB. 2013. Pneumonia in low and middle-income countries: Progress and challenges. Thorax 68(11), 1052–1055.
Jinky Marie T. Chua*, Nikko Alexander S. Pacquing, Ann P. Chua, Ethel Marie M. Mangada, 2026. Assessment of the knowledge, attitude, and practices of frontliners toward community-acquired pneumonia in the Cagayan, Philippines. Int. J. Biosci., 28(5), 26-35.
Copyright © 2026 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.