EVALUATION OF THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES (KAP) OF OFFICER CADETS AT THE SRI LANKA MILITARY ACADEMY REGARDING COVID-19, AS A PROXY FOR KAP RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION OF RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS

Future pandemics and major epidemics are anticipated to be primarily respiratory infections.Similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, world militaries will have to play a key role in containing them.Future military leaders (present officer cadets) with good knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding respiratory infection prevention are important for that reason and for a healthy military and a healthy society.All-time studies focusing on military personnel's KAP regarding respiratory infections are very scarce.This 2023 crosssectional study mainly assesses the KAP of officer cadets at the Sri Lanka Military Academy concerning COVID-19.We used it as a proxy for their KAP related to selected aspects common to the transmission of all respiratory tract infections.This study utilized a self-administered structured questionnaire covering demographics, with 15 questions on knowledge, five on attitudes, and six on practices, administered to 246 officer cadets in October 2023.Spearman's rank-order correlation tests assessed relationships among the KAP scores.All 246 participants returned the questionnaire, with limited item-level missing data.The mean KAP scores were favorable: 84.6% for knowledge, 89.8% for attitudes, and 87.4% for practices.Positive correlations were identified between knowledge and attitude scores, knowledge and practice scores and attitude and practice scores.The KAP levels observed among officer cadets are good.To ensure Sri Lankan military preparedness for future respiratory pandemics, we recommended upholding these KAP levels through periodic, targeted health education.We found no English-language studies on KAP regarding respiratory infection transmission and control among officer cadets of any nation.