Knowledge, attitude, practices, and behavior regarding covid-19 waste management during home isolation period amongst chandigarh residents: a major public health concern amidst the pandemic

Background: Proper biomedical waste (BMW) management was one of the significant challenges in developing countries like India even before COVID-19, and now it has augmented. With the advent of a new home quarantine/isolation facility, the chances of general waste getting contaminated with COVID-19 infectious waste has elevated significantly. Patients treated at home generate infectious waste, thoughtlessly discarded as household (domestic) waste. Depending on the collection, transport, and disposal practices and norms puts waste collectors and the environment at much greater risk. Methods: This study evaluated the KAPB (Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and behavior) of residents who dealt with COVID-19 infectious waste and its management during the home-isolation period in Chandigarh, India. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from 20 May 2021 to 30 June 2021, using an online self-designed questionnaire by simple random sampling. Data were analyzed by using the statistical software IBM SPSS version 28. Results: Among the eligible respondents (n=198), 56% were male, and 44% were females, of which 38.4% were of the age group 25-34 years and were graduates (56.1%). Most respondents (58.1%) were unmarried and belonged to a nuclear family (68.2%). Participants of Age-Group 18-34 years had higher knowledge about COVID-19. A high prevalence of correct knowledge about COVID-19 waste and its management was observed among respondents concerning Gender (p = 0.005), Current Marital Status (p = 0.0001), and level of Education (p = 0.005). Over 80% of respondents exhibited a positive attitude toward COVID-19 Waste management during Home-Isolation. Gender (p = 0.001), Age-group (p = 0.049), and Level of Education (p = 0.013) were found to be significantly and positively associated with all the practices followed. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated that Chandigarh residents had sufficient knowledge, showed a positive attitude and behavior, and followed appropriate COVID-19 Waste Management practices. Individuals with a higher educational level demonstrated a positive attitude. Combative, continuous, and relevant information, Education, and communication are the need of the hour, with structured and programmed interventions for complete knowledge of COVID-19 waste management during the pandemic. Emphasis should be on the introduction of environment-friendly technologies. The capacity building of waste handlers is another concern to be prioritized for the safe collection, treatment, and disposal of Infectious waste.