1 | INTRODUCTIONLeishmaniasis is a vector-borne protozoan disease transmitted to humans by the bite of blood-feeding female phlebotomine sand flies. Although it is often not fatal, it poses a major public health problem worldwide (Yaghoobi-Ershadi, 2016). Leishmaniasis remains a neglected vector‐borne disease. It is estimated that about 1.3 million people are diagnosed with cutaneous leishmaniasis annually in the world (Piroozi et al., 2019). The presence of this vector‐borne disease has been reported in 102 countries worldwide, including Iran, and an estimated one billion people are at risk of contracting the disease (Alvar et al., 2012; Razavinasab et al., 2019; WHO, 2018). According to the WHO report in 2018, most of the cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were reported from 48 countries in the world (WHO, 2018).Cutaneous leishmaniasis is more difficult to control in endemic areas than other infectious diseases, which has been attributed to the complexity of the epidemiological and biological aspects of the disease (Yaghoobi-Ershadi, 2016). Despite many efforts to control the disease, it is still present in many parts of the world, and it is endemic in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Colombia, and Algeria (WHO, 2018).There are two epidemiological forms of the vector-borne protozoan disease in Iran; Anthroponotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (A.C.L) and Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (Z.C.L) caused by Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major, respectively (M. R. Aflatoonian et al., 2019). Also, two sand fly species have been identified as the main vectors of the two forms of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Iran. ACL is mainly transmitted by Phlebotomus sergenti and ZCL by Ph. Papatasi (M. R. Aflatoonian et al., 2019). The annual incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran is very high, and the country ranks among the first six countries in the world in terms of the incidence of the disease (Piroozi et al., 2019). A.C.L is widely distributed in several provinces in Iran, including Tehran, Kerman, Mashhad, Yazd and Shiraz (Afshar et al., 2017). Kerman province is one of the endemic focus of A.C.L in Iran, and several cases have been reported in different cities of the province, including Kerman, Bam, Rafsanjan, Baft, Shahrbabak and Sirjan (M. Aflatoonian & Sharifi, 2014).The distribution of A.C.L is affected by various factors, including epidemiological factors, environmental factors, migration, urbanization, and natural disasters (Desjeux, 2001). Some of the most effective ways of controlling A.C.L include prevention through the use of personal protective equipment and environmental interventions aimed at eliminating the vectors and the reservoirs of the disease (Nilforoushzadeh, Bidabadi, Hosseini, Nobari, & Jaffary, 2014). Another effective way of controlling the disease and reduce its spread is to increase the awareness of the residents living in the endemic areas.In general, health behaviors and hygiene practices can be influenced by gender, age, education and knowledge (Kirunda et al., 2015). Understanding the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of residents living in endemic areas is necessary in designing health promotion interventions and reducing the risk of exposure. Also, identifying the risk factors associated with the disease in the endemic areas can help reduce the incidence of the disease. In recent years, many studies have been conducted on the KAP towards leishmaniasis in Asia and Africa (Akram, Khan, Qadir, & Sabir, 2015a; Amin et al., 2012; Awosan et al., 2013; Doe, Egyir-Yawson, & Kwakye-Nuako; Kebede et al., 2016; Khbou, Najahi, Zribi, Aoun, & Gharbi, 2019; Nandha, Srinivasan, & Jambulingam, 2014; Sarkari, Qasem, & Shafaf, 2014). In Iran, KAP studies on leishmaniasis have been conducted in Fars (Sarkari et al., 2014), Ilam (Vahabi et al., 2013a), and Isfahan provinces (Saberi et al., 2012) in the past years.Kerman, a city in the southwest of Iran, is one of the endemic foci of A.C.L. Therefore, there is a need to understand the KAP of residents living these areas and the risk factors associated with the disease. In this study, we aimed to assess and compare the levels of KAP towards A.C.L among residents in three endemic areas in the suburb of Kerman city. The present study also aimed to identify the risk factors associated with A.C.L in these areas. To the best of our knowledge, the present survey is the first KAP study on A.C.L and associated risk-related factors among residents in three endemic areas (Allahabad, Shahrak Sanati and Sarasiab) in the suburb of Kerman city.