Jessie Pinchoff|K.G. Santhya|Corinne White|Shilpi Rampal|Rajib Acharya|Tho?i D. Ngô
Gender specific differences in COVID-19 knowledge, behavior and health effects among adolescents and young adults in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India
Population Council|India Habitat Centre|Population Council|Population Council|India Habitat Centre|Population Council|India Habitat Centre|Population Council|Population Council
march 24 2020 india implemented national lockdown prevent spread novel coronavirus disease covid19 among 13 billion people pandemic may disproportionately impact women girls study examines gender differences knowledge covid19 symptoms preventive behaviors well adverse effects lockdown among adolescents young adults mobile phonebased survey implemented april 322 2020 uttar pradesh bihar among respondents randomly selected existing cohort study respondents answered questions related demographics covid19 knowledge attitudes preventive behaviors practiced impacts social economic health outcomes descriptive analyses linear probability regression models performed participants separately men women total 1666 adolescents young adults 1824 years old surveyed 70 women participants high awareness disease symptoms preventive behaviors variation gender compared men women seven percentage points pp less likely know main symptoms covid19 coeff 0071 95 confidence interval 0122 0021 among women variation knowledge education level urban residence household wealth women 22 pp less likely practice key preventive behaviors compared men coeff 0222 95 cil 0263 0181 women also likely report recent depressive symptoms men coeff 0057 95 ci 0004 0109 findings underscore covid19 already disproportionately impacting adolescent girls young women may require additional targeted gendersensitive messaging foster behavior change gendersensitive information campaigns provision health services must accessible provide women girls needed resources support pandemic ensure gains public health gender equity lost