Good Knowledge but Poor Practice Toward COVID-19 Among Indonesian Youth

COVID-19 cases have been increasing among young people as they are often considered to have low compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures. Given that challenge, there have been limited studies exploring this issue. Through a nationwide online survey, we assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward COVID-19 among Indonesian youth and potential interventions to improve their behavior. We found that Indonesian youth had good knowledge of COVID-19, but their practices remained poor. Noncompliance was more frequent in males, students in Islamic high schools, those residing outside the Java-Bali islands, and students living in a lower income household. Significant barriers included lack of regulation, difficulties in avoiding crowds, and soap shortage. Their exposure to and trust in the internet was very high. These findings highlight that youth compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures should be improved by reducing barriers, collaborating actively with young people, and encouraging effective campaigns together with social media influencers.