Community Risk Perception and Compliance with Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in Ethiopia
Zeleke Asnakew,1 Kerebih Asrese,2 Mulusew Andualem3 1Department of Management, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 2Department of Social Work, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 3School of Public Health, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Zeleke Asnakew Tel +2519...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dove Medical Press
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Risk Management and Healthcare Policy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/community-risk-perception-and-compliance-with-preventive-measures-for--peer-reviewed-article-RMHP |
| _version_ | 1818929125242437632 |
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| author | Asnakew Z Asrese K Andualem M |
| author_facet | Asnakew Z Asrese K Andualem M |
| author_sort | Asnakew Z |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Zeleke Asnakew,1 Kerebih Asrese,2 Mulusew Andualem3 1Department of Management, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 2Department of Social Work, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 3School of Public Health, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Zeleke Asnakew Tel +251911293595Email Sirayez2013@gmail.comPurpose: This study assessed the community’s level of risk perception of COVID-19, their compliance with recommended precautionary measures, and factors that influence compliance behavior.Methods: This study is a cross-sectional online survey administered using google forms. Data were collected from 521 respondents using various social media channels, including e-mail, Facebook, messenger, telegram, and IMO.Results: About 9 in 10 respondents (90.4%) perceived that they are susceptible to COVID-19. Nearly 9 in 10 participants (87.5%) perceived that COVID-19 is a serious disease. The majority of respondents (81%) got information about COVID-19 from television and social networking sites. The regression analyses revealed that compliance with preventive behaviors is differed by respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics. Being female (β: 0.094, P< 0.05), higher perceived effectiveness of recommended preventive measures (β: 0.367, P< 0.001), and higher perceived reliability of media (β: 0.189, P< 0.001) facilitated compliance with preventive measures. On the other hand, increasing age (β: − 0.096, P< 0.05), being single (β: − 0.127, P< 0.01), lower education level (β: − 0.168, P< 0.01), and living at a lower administrative level were barriers to be compliant with preventive measures.Conclusion: The majority of the respondents exercised one or more of the recommended preventive measures to avoid COVID-19 infection. Most of the respondents got information about COVID-19 from television and social networking sites. Given that about 80% of the Ethiopian population is living in rural areas without television and higher illiteracy rate to use social networking sites, concerned bodies should introduce tailored interventions to impart knowledge about COVID-19 infection and mitigating measures.Limitations: Although the sampling procedure was random through the online system, it might not be representative to study the perception and compliance of people towards COVID-19 prevention practices at a country level due to its small size. Thus, the interpretation of the study findings needs to consider this limitation.Keywords: COVID-19, risk perception, media exposure, compliance with prevention |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:39:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-faeffad690d6455b909ff0e26c9b775f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-1594 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:39:50Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Risk Management and Healthcare Policy |
| spelling | doaj.art-faeffad690d6455b909ff0e26c9b775f2022-12-21T19:54:46ZengDove Medical PressRisk Management and Healthcare Policy1179-15942020-12-01Volume 132887289760136Community Risk Perception and Compliance with Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in EthiopiaAsnakew ZAsrese KAndualem MZeleke Asnakew,1 Kerebih Asrese,2 Mulusew Andualem3 1Department of Management, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 2Department of Social Work, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 3School of Public Health, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Zeleke Asnakew Tel +251911293595Email Sirayez2013@gmail.comPurpose: This study assessed the community’s level of risk perception of COVID-19, their compliance with recommended precautionary measures, and factors that influence compliance behavior.Methods: This study is a cross-sectional online survey administered using google forms. Data were collected from 521 respondents using various social media channels, including e-mail, Facebook, messenger, telegram, and IMO.Results: About 9 in 10 respondents (90.4%) perceived that they are susceptible to COVID-19. Nearly 9 in 10 participants (87.5%) perceived that COVID-19 is a serious disease. The majority of respondents (81%) got information about COVID-19 from television and social networking sites. The regression analyses revealed that compliance with preventive behaviors is differed by respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics. Being female (β: 0.094, P< 0.05), higher perceived effectiveness of recommended preventive measures (β: 0.367, P< 0.001), and higher perceived reliability of media (β: 0.189, P< 0.001) facilitated compliance with preventive measures. On the other hand, increasing age (β: − 0.096, P< 0.05), being single (β: − 0.127, P< 0.01), lower education level (β: − 0.168, P< 0.01), and living at a lower administrative level were barriers to be compliant with preventive measures.Conclusion: The majority of the respondents exercised one or more of the recommended preventive measures to avoid COVID-19 infection. Most of the respondents got information about COVID-19 from television and social networking sites. Given that about 80% of the Ethiopian population is living in rural areas without television and higher illiteracy rate to use social networking sites, concerned bodies should introduce tailored interventions to impart knowledge about COVID-19 infection and mitigating measures.Limitations: Although the sampling procedure was random through the online system, it might not be representative to study the perception and compliance of people towards COVID-19 prevention practices at a country level due to its small size. Thus, the interpretation of the study findings needs to consider this limitation.Keywords: COVID-19, risk perception, media exposure, compliance with preventionhttps://www.dovepress.com/community-risk-perception-and-compliance-with-preventive-measures-for--peer-reviewed-article-RMHPcovid-19risk perceptionmedia exposurecompliance with prevention |
| spellingShingle | Asnakew Z Asrese K Andualem M Community Risk Perception and Compliance with Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in Ethiopia Risk Management and Healthcare Policy covid-19 risk perception media exposure compliance with prevention |
| title | Community Risk Perception and Compliance with Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in Ethiopia |
| title_full | Community Risk Perception and Compliance with Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Community Risk Perception and Compliance with Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community Risk Perception and Compliance with Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in Ethiopia |
| title_short | Community Risk Perception and Compliance with Preventive Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic in Ethiopia |
| title_sort | community risk perception and compliance with preventive measures for covid 19 pandemic in ethiopia |
| topic | covid-19 risk perception media exposure compliance with prevention |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/community-risk-perception-and-compliance-with-preventive-measures-for--peer-reviewed-article-RMHP |
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