Relationship Between Knowledge and Behavior in Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Rural Community

The best way to prevent COVID-19 transmission is to be well-informed about the virus, its symptoms, and how it spreads. It is important to protect ourselves and others from infection by implementing health protocols. However, many people ignore the health protocols. This could be due to a lack of knowledge about this disease. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between knowledge and community behavior in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a descriptive study with a cross-sectional approach. The sample included 153 households in Manggisari Village, a rural area in Malang Regency, who were chosen by simple random sampling. Data analysis involved the Spearman Rank correlation test. The results showed that the community had a moderate level of knowledge (71.8%) with moderate risk behavior towards COVID-19 transmission (65.5%). There was a significant relationship between knowledge and community behavior in facing the pandemic (p = 0.02).