Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of the General Population and People with Comorbidities Regarding COVID-19 in South Kivu, DR Congo.

Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO has advocated for focusing interventions on priority groups. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the general population and to compare them with those of individuals with comorbidities. Methodes: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in South Kivu from March 1st to April 30th, 2021. Results: A total of 2011 subjects participated in the study, of which 1522 (75.69%) had no comorbidities and 489 (24.31%) had comorbidities. Among them, 817 (40.63%) resided in urban areas, while 1194 (59.37%) resided in rural areas. Men accounted for 1219 (60.62%) of the participants, while women accounted for 792 (39.38%). The mean age was 30.7 years, ranging from 18 to 96 years. The overall score for knowledge, attitudes, and practices was 8.09 ± 3.66. It was 9.18 ± 3.89 among individuals with comorbidities and 7.00 ± 3.62 among those without comorbidities (p < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores (r=0.38, p < 0.05), a negative correlation between knowledge and practice scores (r=-.035, p > 0.05), and a positive correlation between attitude and practice scores (r= 0.44, p < 0.05). Sociodemographic characteristics had minimal influence on the results. Conclusion The level of knowledge is satisfactory, but attitudes and practices remain unfavorable for the prevention of COVID-19. Individuals with comorbidities had more knowledge about the disease than the rest of the population. Implementing integrated and participatory strategies that bridge the gap between knowledge and behavior is essential to translate awareness into positive attitudes and effective practices across all population groups.