A Cross-Sectional Survey of Personal Hygiene Positive Behavior Related to COVID-19 Prevention and Control among Indonesian Communities

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear authors, 

Give authors,

The article is well written and has an interesting structure. Moreover, the article's topic is current and of interest to the entire world, given the context of the pandemic caused by COVID-2019 around the world.

I have a few suggestions:

1 - In the literature, there are several articles on Personal Hygiene Positive Behavior Related to COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Highlight what this article brings that is different from those that have already been published on the subject.

2 - Why was the survey carried out in Indonesia and not in another country? Justify the choice of this country.

3 - What would the literature lose if this article was not published?

4 - Highlight the main theoretical, empirical, and political contributions of this study.

5 - Highlight the main limitations and suggestions for future research.

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 1

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear authors, 

The article is well written and has an interesting structure. Moreover, the article's topic is current and of interest to the entire world, given the context of the pandemic caused by COVID-2019 around the world.

Response:

Dear Sir/Madam.

First of all, we would like to thank you for your time to support our paper.

I have a few suggestions:

1. In the literature, there are several articles on Personal Hygiene Positive Behavior Related to COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Highlight what this article brings that is different from those that have already been published on the subject.

Response:

Thank you for the feedback. We have already updated according to your suggestions.

A study in South Africa reported that behavioural responsiveness increased to response and prevent the COVID-19 [18]. In addition, human behaviours were tremendously linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, where the control measure of close contact could reduce the infection risk of its virus up to 47% [19]. A study conducted by Muslih et. [20], shows that study respondents had a good knowledge, positive attitude, and conduct appropriate practices in preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, this previous study only assessed the practice of avoiding crowded place and masks used, and it did not measure another behaviour such as touching surface, parts of bodies, the use of disinfectant, hand washing. Therefore, a comprehensive positive healthy behaviour has triggers researchers to further analysis how is the nature of Indonesian people with positive behaviors and deal with the COVID-19 virus pandemic and how to address with the situation. This present study was conducted in Indonesia because this country is of the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Asia and it was predicted that the third wave of COVID-19 occur in December 2021. This study aims to conduct a cross sectional survey of positive personal hygiene behaviour related to COVID-19 prevention and control among Indonesian communities.

 

2. Why was the survey carried out in Indonesia and not in another country? Justify the choice of this country.

Response:

First of all,  This present study was conducted in Indonesia because this country is of the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Asia and it was predicted that the third wave of COVID-19 occur in December 2021. Another reasons is because of the domicile of the Authors from Indonesia.

 

3. What would the literature lose if this article was not published?

Response:

This study is an early detection to obtain an overview of positive behaviour of personal hygiene for the prevention and control towards COVID-19 among dwellers in Indonesia. It contributes to deliver an information and give better understanding regarding on how communities can support the government in handling the pandemic situation

 

4. Highlight the main theoretical, empirical, and political contributions of this study.

Response:

Main theoretical we support HBM Model, According to the Health Belief Model (HBM), person might be engage in a health practice is based on individual beliefs, for example preventive behaviours or positive behaviours in facing COVID-19, in vice versa. HBM is also highlighted that dwellers will embrace the preventive health behaviour when they are facing pandemic situation

It contributes to deliver an information and give better understanding regarding on how communities can support the government in handling the pandemic situation. These findings contribute to shareholder, particularly for the Task Force for Rapid Response to Covid-19 in providing a data regarding community behaviour. Our study also indicates that in handling and mitigating the spread of COVID-19, the Indonesian governments should continually consider the potential of at-risk behavior among residents and strengthen the intervention and health promotion, vaccination, and close contact control.

 

5. Highlight the main limitations and suggestions for future research.

Response:

Thank you we have put these information in the end of discussion.

This study, however, has several limitations. First, the sample size is limited. Second, online questionnaire may not reflects the real situation of the communities. Third, the study was conducted during the Large Scale Social Restrictions which may not reflect the real situation during the released of Large Scale Social Restrictions where public may have a varied activities while they may no longer implement positive behaviour of personal hygiene. Further studies are needed to explore whether the positive behaviour may reduce or change after the release of Large Scale Social Restrictions. Fourth, the majority of respondents were coming from the Java Island, while the representativeness of the population might not be covered, and this might be a bias factor. The last, the data was administrated in bivariate analysis to assess association but it does not control for potential confounding variables, hence multivariate analysis is needed for further analysis.

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Please see attached.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2

A Cross Sectional Survey of Personal Hygiene Positive Behavior Related to COVID-19 Prevention and Control among Indonesian Communities

Editorial comments

• The first paragraph of the introduction is not coherent: The sentences are not logically following each other but are isolated thoughts:
  “Nowadays, Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has become major concern as pandemic around the world. A novel coronavirus is also known Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus firstly identified as an outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei, China on 31 December 20191,2. Moreover, the bat reservoir is thought to be causative agent for the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, which is one of the seven coronaviruses known to infect humans3”. The ideas are not flowing nicely.

Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

Nowadays, Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has become major concern as pandemic around the world. A novel coronavirus is also known Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus was firstly identified as an outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei, China on 31 December 2019 [1,2]. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated COVID-19 as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) [3].

Based on several studies, the causative agent of emergence of COVID-19 was caused by a bat reservoir that can infect human health [4]. In addition, COVID-19 transmits humans to humans in several ways, namely droplets and contact routes [5].

 

• Lines 51 and 52: This virus was firstly identified as an outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei, China on 31 December. Missing word?

Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

This virus was firstly identified as an outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei, China on 31 December 2019 [1,2].

• Line 59 and 60: People can also become infected by touching a surface which is contaminated by the virus and ........ Missing word?

Response:

People can also become infected by touching a surface which contaminated by the virus, and they tend to touch their part of bodies including their eyes, nose and mouth.

• Line 63: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that SARS-COV-2 can be transmitted through the airborne.

Response: Thank you for your kindness and the feedback.

• Line 66: On January 30, 2020, the WHO designated COVID-19 as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)6. The sentence is in the wrong place. It belongs to the first paragraph of the introduction.

Response: Thank you for your the feedback. We have already updated as your recommendation

• Line 72: Indonesia, for instance, is one of the countries affected by Covid-19. Missing word?

Response: Thank you for your the feedback. We have already updated as your comment

• Line 74: Missing word

Response: Response: Thank you for your the feedback. We have already updated as your comment

The president Indonesia has issued a policy related to this disease under Presidential Decree No. 12 of 2020 about the determination of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as national disaster. Also, the president has formed the Task Force for Rapid Response to Covid-19 or known as Gugus Tugas Percepatan Penanganan COVID-19 [10].

• Lines 76-77: Sentence not complete

Recently, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia are 361,867, where the total number of recovered and fatality on 34 provinces were 285,324 and 12,511 people respectively

• Lines 260-262: While it was also reported that 27% of participants did this personal hygiene implementation for >6 times in every touching and object. Sentence not complete. While is a conjunction of contrast, where is the contrasting phrase.

Response: Thank you for your the feedback. We relized that it was a coherent sentence, we changed while to ‘and’.

• Line 278: Additionally, The participants ....

Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

• Line 281: ....can be seen that the participants was strongly agree in implementing.... ??

Response:

Similarly, it can be seen that 366 participants (48%) was strongly agree to implement the distance positition or physical distancing in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

• Legend of Table 6: Use of masker.

Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

• Heading of table 7: Bivariate Analysis of sociodemographic characteristic

associated with touching objects and faces touched.

Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

• Line 355: known as the National Board for Disaster Management. Missing word?  

Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated, and it is better to delete first paragraph as your recommendation.

• The first paragraph of the discussion is not coherent ie the sentences are not

logically following each other but are isolated thoughts:

Since the president of Indonesia declared the first two cases of COVID 19 on 2 March, the responses have been discussed such as the formation of operational Taskforce, known the National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) on 13

president and ministerial level during the period of January until March 202010. The first case was originated from Depok, West Java that had close contact with foreigners. Patient with positive COVID-19 then continued to grow in the number of areas, with the epicentre in DKI Jakarta as capital city of Indonesia. Regarding the map of areas, the location of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi are nearby location where these area were categorized as red zone. The Regulation No. 9 the Year 2020 has 363 been set up under Ministry of Health related to the implementation of Large 364 Scale Social Restrictions (Pemb)

Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated, and it is better to delete first paragraph as your recommendation.

• Line 373: ......have been practiced good ........ do you mean “have been practicing”?

Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

• Lines 437-438: In addition, cloth masks may rise raise the infection risk due to its physical properties such us reuse, frequency and .....

• Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

•  Line 450: The use of disinfectant in handling COVID-19 was also familiar in Indonesia. 67.7% of.... Can the use be familiar, or people in Indonesia are familiar with the use of ...? Also, don’t start a sentence with a numerical number.

• Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

Regarding the use of disinfectant in handling COVID-19, 67.7% of respondents did a disinfectant spraying for at least once in a month with chlorine-based products.

General comments

• The manuscript has many editorial errors and needs to be revised
• The introduction is too wordy, repetitive and can be made more concise.
• The conclusion does not provide any conclusions from this study but general statements about managing Covid-19.

General Response:

Thank you very much for your comments. It was very useful for our improvement. We have already added and revised our paper as attached.

Specific comments

• In the first page of Table 7 the figures for male in column A (2.010 (0.673-3.418) are written in bold as if they are significant, and yet the Cis for ORs ranges from 0.673 to 3.418.

Response: thank you for the details. We put a wrong number, it should be 2.010 (1.509-2.678)

• The study uses the Chi-square test to assess associations but does not control for potential confounding variables in a multiple logistic regression so as to deal with the Simpson’s paradox

Response: Yes, we do agree. Since, we are not able to analysis further. This issue has been highlighted in our study limitation.

• The authors have reduced the potential usefulness of the study by limiting the scope of the study on positive Covid-19 practices without finding out the reasons why the participants behaved in a certain way. On the contrary, this study is on human health behavior and human health behaviors are better understood using established health behavior models. In that regard, this study can improve tremendously by including, in the study design or at least in the results interpretation, one of the health behavior models such as the Health Belief Model.

• Response: Thank you for feedback we have already updated

People’s behaviours can also influence the spread of the COVID-19 virus. According to the Health Belief Model (HBM), person might be engaging in a health practices is based on individual beliefs, for example preventive behaviours or positive behavior in facing COVID-19, or in vice versa. HBM is also highlighted that dwellers will embrace the preventive health behaviour when they are facing pandemic situation [14, 15]  in introduction sections.

In discussion, we also added. In line with Health Belief Model, in order to avoid risks for diseases, people must believe to at least four aspects. First, they are liable to be influence at the mercy of diseases (perceived susceptibility), and those diseases have detrimental impacts on their life (perceived severity). Second, positive behaviour  or particular action will decrease the susceptibility of health problem (perceived benefit).  Third, certain action will effectively reduce the threat where barrier can prevent the involvement in health behavior (perceived barrier). Fourth, self-efficacy affect the changes of outcomes (perceived self-efficacy) [14].

• Some references have no page numbers eg references number 31, 45 and 46

Response:

Chen X, Ran L, Liu Q, Hu Q, Du X, Tan X. Hand hygiene, mask-wearing behaviors and its associated factors during the COVID-19 epidemic: A cross-sectional study among primary school students in Wuhan, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17, 2893 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082893

 

Fiorillo L, Cervino G, Matarese M, D’amico C, Surace G, Paduano V, et al. COVID-19 surface persistence: A recent data summary and its importance for medical and dental settings. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17, 3132. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093132

 

Głabska D, Skolmowska D, Guzek D. Population-based study of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on hand hygiene behaviors-polish adolescents’ COVID-19 experience (PLACE-19) study. Sustain. 2020, 12, 4930. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124930

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors have made an appreciable attempt to address my concerns