General public knowledge and practices about the common cold

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices of the general public about the common cold in Taif, KSA.MethodsA pre-validated questionnaire was developed and administered to 1700 respondents using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. A total of 1487 completed and valid questionnaires were successfully obtained. All data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 22.0 at an alpha value of 0.05.ResultsThe majority of respondents demonstrated poor knowledge about the common cold. Forty percent of respondents believed that there was no difference between the common cold and the flu. Sixty-six percent of participants believed that antibiotics would cure the common cold. Only 24% believed that coughing and direct contact with patients suffering from the common cold would spread this illness. A small number of participants, after catching the common cold, took precautionary measures such as avoiding contact with other people.ConclusionIt can be concluded that the general public has poor knowledge about the common cold, which is reflected in their routine practices towards illness management. Healthcare policy makers should consider these findings in developing plans for improving public knowledge and practices.