Parents’ awareness and practice of COVID-19 health protocols: Basis for glocalized IEC material development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61251/ijoep.v2i3.278Keywords:
COVID19, glocalization, IEC material, Design Thinking, pandemic preparednessAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the critical role of parents in ensuring accurate health information and consistent preventive practices at home. This study assessed parents’ awareness of key COVID-19 facts and the extent to which they adhered to recommended health protocols, serving as the basis for developing a glocalized information, education, and communication (IEC) material. Using a design research approach guided by Stanford University’s Design Thinking Model, the study surveyed 1,200 parents in Aklan, Philippines, and consulted experts in IEC development. Results showed that parents were generally aware of COVID-19 health facts (M=3.03) and exhibited a moderate level of protocol adherence (M=3.15). Awareness was lowest for vaccination-related information, influenced by past vaccine controversies and inconsistent public communication. A strong positive correlation (r=0.807, p<0.001) indicated that higher awareness was associated with better adherence. Based on these findings, a culturally contextualized trifold pamphlet integrating local language, familiar visuals, and community-relevant guidelines was developed and evaluated. Parents and experts rated the material as highly acceptable (M=3.71), citing its clarity, cultural fit, and practical usefulness. While the IEC resource shows promise for supporting community health education, further studies are needed to determine its long-term influence on behavior and pandemic preparedness.
References
Airhihenbuwa, C., Iwelunmor, J., Munodawafa, D., Ford, C., Oni, T., Agyemang, C., Mota, C., Ikuomola, O., Simbayi, L., Fallah, M., Qian, Z., Makinwa, B., Niang, C., & Okosun, I. (2020). Culture matters in communicating the global response to COVID-19. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200245
Akutsu, K., Goto, A., Abo-Rass, F., & Yokoyama, H. (2025). Evaluating the effectiveness of parent training pamphlets: An intervention study among parents at child health checkups. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16, 21501319251317340. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251317340
Biswas, S., Hense, S., Kodali, P. B., & Thankappan, K. R. (2023). Quality of COVID-19 information, education and communication materials in India: A content analysis. Health Education Journal, 82(4), 390–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/00178969231160952
Buhat, C. a. H. (2021). The Impact of Adherence to Minimum Health Standards in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, 14, 100248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100248
Dam, R. F. (2025, October 7). The 5 stages in the design thinking process. The Interaction Design Foundation. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process
Durski, K. N., Singaravelu, S., Naidoo, D., Djingarey, M. H., Fall, I. S., Yahaya, A. A., Aylward, B., Osterholm, M., & Formenty, P. (2020). Design thinking during a health emergency: building a national data collection and reporting system. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-10006-x
Elahi, E., & Morato, J. (2023). Graphical contents and health websites readability. IEEE Access, 11, 140934–140942. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2023.3341493
Garbin, A. J. Í., Chiba, E. K., Garbin, C. a. S., Chiba, F. Y., Moimaz, S. a. S., & Saliba, T. A. (2023c). Systematic review: Impact of parental decision on paediatric COVID‐19 vaccination. Child Care Health and Development, 49(5), 787–799. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13124
Gautam, V., S, D., Rustagi, N., Mittal, A., Patel, M., Shafi, S., Thirunavukkarasu, P., & Raghav, P. (2020). Health literacy, preventive COVID 19 behaviour and adherence to chronic disease treatment during lockdown among patients registered at primary health facility in urban Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome Clinical Research & Reviews, 15(1), 205–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.12.023
Halstead, S. B., Katzelnick, L. C., Russell, P. K., Markoff, L., Aguiar, M., Dans, L. R., & Dans, A. L. (2020). Ethics of a partially effective dengue vaccine: Lessons from the Philippines. Vaccine, 38(35), 5572–5576. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.06.079
He, S., Chen, Y., Xia, Y., Li, Y., Liang, H., & Yu, L. (2024). Visual Harmony: Text-Visual interplay in circular infographics. arXiv (Cornell University). https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2402.05798
Hou, R., Traverson, L., Chabrol, F., Gautier, L., De Araújo Oliveira, S. R., David, P., Lucet, J., Zinszer, K., & Ridde, V. (2023). Communication and Information Strategies Implemented by Four Hospitals in Brazil, Canada, and France to Deal with COVID-19 Healthcare-Associated Infections. Health Systems & Reform, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/23288604.2023.2223812
Karl, J. A., Fischer, R., Druică, E., Musso, F., & Stan, A. (2022). Testing the effectiveness of the health belief model in predicting preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Romania and Italy. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.627575
Khasanah, N., Sriyana, J., Prasetyo, A., Hamid, A., Istiqomah, N., Momon, M., Supriadi, A., Yanto, P., Pranaka, R. N., & Rinawati, H. S. (2024). Optimizing health protocol compliance through supply chain management in Surabaya’s COVID-19 response. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 13(4), 625–636. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2024.11.003
Lee, M., Kang, B., & You, M. (2021). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in South Korea. BMC Public Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10285-y
Nagal, R. K. (2020). GLocalized Experiential Learning infused resource package in earth and life science. JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research, 40(1), 153–180. https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v40i1.777
Nagal, R. K. I. (2021). Operation Galugad: ELT-infused glocalized module on experiential learning. K to 12 Issues and Trends Explored (K.I.T.E.) Journal, 1(3). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390142989_Operation_Galugad_ELT-infused_glocalized_module_on_experiential_learning
Nagal, R. K., Lariosa, D., Agustin, J., Invina, J. G., Teston, M. E., & Estanislao, B. J. F. (2025). Parental awareness and health protocol practices on HFMD among caregivers of grades 1–3 pupils in Aklan: a correlational study. Annals of Innovation in Medicine, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.59652/1yxy4c21
Nagal, R. K., & Paris, P. E. (2025). Gender-Based Teaching-Learning Classroom Dynamics in Human Sexuality Education. EIKI Journal of Effective Teaching Methods, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.59652/jetm.v3i1.447
Phelps, A., Rodriguez-Hernandez, Y., Murphy, S. T., & Valente, T. W. (2022). A culturally tailored narrative decreased resistance to COVID-19 vaccination among Latinas. American Journal of Health Promotion, 37(3), 381–385. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171221129538
Raut, A., Samad, A., Verma, J., & Kshirsagar, P. (2023). Acceptance, hesitancy and refusal towards COVID-19 vaccination. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 21, 101283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2023.101283
Rehman, R., Jawed, S., Ali, R., Noreen, K., Baig, M., & Baig, J. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic awareness, attitudes, and practices among the Pakistani general public. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.588537
Tamang, N., Rai, P., Dhungana, S., Sherchan, B., Shah, B., Pyakurel, P., & Rai, S. (2020). COVID-19: a National Survey on perceived level of knowledge, attitude and practice among frontline healthcare Workers in Nepal. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-10025-8
Tripathi, R., Alqahtani, S. S., Albarraq, A. A., Meraya, A. M., Tripathi, P., Banji, D., Alshahrani, S., Ahsan, W., & Alnakhli, F. M. (2020). Awareness and preparedness of COVID-19 outbreak among healthcare workers and other residents of South-West Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional survey. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00482
Turpin, M., Weilbach, L., & Kruger, S. (2023). Reaping Research Skills from the Rigorous Application of Design Thinking. European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.34190/ecrm.22.1.1561.
Villanueva, V. (2022, June 24). Aklan PHO gives updates on COVID-19, other diseases. Philippine Information Agency. https://mirror.pia.gov.ph/news/2022/06/24/aklan-pho-gives-updates-on-covid-19-other-diseases
World Health Organization. (2021). WHO COVID-19 dashboard: Philippines. https://covid19.who.int/region/wpro/country/ph
Yen, W., & Liu, L. (2021). Crafting Compliance Regime under COVID‐19: Using Taiwan’s Quarantine Policy as a Case Study. Global Policy, 12(4), 562–567. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12967
Zakiah, Z., & Suyati, S. (2021). Overview Knowledge and attitudes of parents in the application of protocol health in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal for Quality in Public Health, 5(1), 344–347. https://doi.org/10.30994/jqph.v5i1.279
Zhang, W., & Velez, D. (2022). Effects of COVID-19 on physical activity and its relationship with mental health in a US community sample: cross-sectional, convenience sampling–based online survey. JMIR Formative Research, 6(4), e32387. https://doi.org/10.2196/32387
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Raphael Kevin Nagal, Mary June Ningal, Joanna Grace Invina

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal's license is under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.







