ปัจจัยที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการปฏิบัติการป้องกันโรคโควิด 19 ของผู้ค้าในตลาดสด

Abstract

Fresh food markets are crowded places which pose a risk for COVID-19 infection among merchants there. Therefore, correct practices for COVID-19 prevention among these merchants are very crucial for preventing the spread of COVID-19. This descriptive correlational research aimed to study the relationship between predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors and COVID-19 prevention practices of merchants in fresh food markets. The participants were 409 merchants in fresh food markets. Data were collected between September to October 2022. The research instruments included a demographic questionnaire; a COVID-19 prevention practices questionnaire; and a knowledge, attitudes, perception of information, social support, and measures of COVID-19 prevention practices among merchants in fresh food markets questionnaire. The content validity indexes (CVI) of these questionnaires were 0.94, 0.97, 0.98, 1.00, 1.00, and 0.95, respectively, and the reliabilities were 0.86, 0.90, 0.97, 0.97, 0.92, and 0.91, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Point-biserial correlation coefficient, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient statistics. Results showed a mainly female sample group (61.1%) at a median age of 41 years with 43.8% having completed secondary education. Their median income was 20,000 baht per month. The participants had COVID-19 prevention practices at a high level with a median score of 56 out of 75 points. Knowledge, attitude, perception of information, social support, and measures regarding COVID-19 prevention practices demonstrated the following median scores: 17/25, 60/80, 77/100, 33/40, and 50/60, respectively. In addition, gender, attitude, perception of information, and measures of COVID-19 prevention practices were positively correlated at a low level (r = 0.145, p = 0.001; r = 0.196, p < 0.001; r = 0.229, p < 0.001; r = 0.185, p < 0.001). However, age, education level, income, knowledge, and social support showed no correlation. The results of this study suggest that attitude, perception of information, and measures had a positive correlation with COVID-19 prevention practices and should, therefore, be continuously strengthened for merchants in fresh food markets to increase the effectiveness of COVID-19 prevention practices.