An interview questionnaire was designed to collect the following data:
a) Socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education, and occupation.
b) Knowledge about the disease, its nature, mode of transmission, symptoms and signs, incubation period, period of communicability, and preventive measures. This knowledge was assessed by 17 factual statements that participants responded to with "yes" or "no." A scoring system was applied to assess the level of knowledge of each subject: 1 point was given for each correct answer, and 0 point was given for each incorrect answer. Participants were grouped into three categories according to their level of knowledge: low (<10 points), average (10-12 points), and high (13 or more points).
c) Attitudes toward and perceptions of the disease, its severity, governmental efforts to combat it, and disease outcomes were assessed by six attitudinal statements that participants responded to with "strongly agree," "agree," "neutral," "disagree," or "strongly disagree." A scoring system was applied using the Likert 5-point scale; 5 points were assigned to "strongly agree," and 1 point was assigned to "strongly disagree." Negative attitude statements were scored from 1 (for those who strongly agreed) to 5 (for those who strongly disagreed). Thus, the total attitude score ranged from 6 to 30 points. For each statement, the participant was considered extremely concerned if he/she agreed or strongly agreed. Subjects were grouped into three categories according to their level of concern: extremely concerned (if agreement was evident for 5-6 statements), quite concerned (if agreement was evident for 3-4 statements), and little concerned (if agreement was evident for 2 or fewer statements).
d) Each participant was asked to report the precautionary measures that s/he has been using during the epidemic to prevent infection. Participants' responses were assessed in accordance with the six precautionary measures recommended by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC). A scoring system was applied in which each participant was given 1 point for each precautionary measure taken. Thus, the total precaution score ranged from 0 to 6 points. A high level of precaution was considered to be 5-6 points, a moderate level was 3-4 points, and a poor level was 2 points or less.
Research coordinators and research assistants at the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC) were trained to conduct the interviews. Each day, one of the co-authors assessed the accuracy and completeness of the data collection forms and the standardization of the procedures.
a) Socio-demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education, and occupation.
b) Knowledge about the disease, its nature, mode of transmission, symptoms and signs, incubation period, period of communicability, and preventive measures. This knowledge was assessed by 17 factual statements that participants responded to with "yes" or "no." A scoring system was applied to assess the level of knowledge of each subject: 1 point was given for each correct answer, and 0 point was given for each incorrect answer. Participants were grouped into three categories according to their level of knowledge: low (<10 points), average (10-12 points), and high (13 or more points).
c) Attitudes toward and perceptions of the disease, its severity, governmental efforts to combat it, and disease outcomes were assessed by six attitudinal statements that participants responded to with "strongly agree," "agree," "neutral," "disagree," or "strongly disagree." A scoring system was applied using the Likert 5-point scale; 5 points were assigned to "strongly agree," and 1 point was assigned to "strongly disagree." Negative attitude statements were scored from 1 (for those who strongly agreed) to 5 (for those who strongly disagreed). Thus, the total attitude score ranged from 6 to 30 points. For each statement, the participant was considered extremely concerned if he/she agreed or strongly agreed. Subjects were grouped into three categories according to their level of concern: extremely concerned (if agreement was evident for 5-6 statements), quite concerned (if agreement was evident for 3-4 statements), and little concerned (if agreement was evident for 2 or fewer statements).
d) Each participant was asked to report the precautionary measures that s/he has been using during the epidemic to prevent infection. Participants' responses were assessed in accordance with the six precautionary measures recommended by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC). A scoring system was applied in which each participant was given 1 point for each precautionary measure taken. Thus, the total precaution score ranged from 0 to 6 points. A high level of precaution was considered to be 5-6 points, a moderate level was 3-4 points, and a poor level was 2 points or less.
Research coordinators and research assistants at the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC) were trained to conduct the interviews. Each day, one of the co-authors assessed the accuracy and completeness of the data collection forms and the standardization of the procedures.
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