scholarly journals COVID-19 risk perception among Indonesians in early stage of the outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Ratih Oktri Nanda ◽  
Lolita Lolita ◽  
Wiwik Indayati ◽  
Ivong Rusdiyanti ◽  
Nurjannah Nurjannah ◽  
...  

Indonesia confirmed its first coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) case on 2nd March 2020, when other countries have already reported several numbers in the previous month. This study aimed to explore the risk perception of Indonesians in the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 495 participants using a web-based questionnaire. Primary data were collected from 3rd to 27th March 2020 including the perceived severity, vulnerability, threat, self, and response efficacy of the participants. The results showed that the perceived threat of the outbreak in its early stage is the second highest compared to other diseases. The perceived severity among the participants was high. However, they had a low vulnerability. Those in the middle region showed a higher level of self and response efficacy. Meanwhile, people who work as private sector employee (β=0.146, p=0.004), live in the western region (β=-0.184, p=0.000), with a higher knowledge score (β=0.096, p=0.032) had a higher perceived threat. These results found those who had high knowledge, was also had higher perceived risk. The most important of these studies have determined various factors related to risk perception, thus it could be good preliminary evidence for public health authorities to arrange an effective way for epidemic control.

Author(s):  
Shihabul Islam ◽  
Shah Ehsan Habib

Background: Rohingyas living in refugee camps of Bangladesh have been identified as a high-risk group for HIV transmission. This study aimed to assess gender differences in risk perception towards HIV/AIDS among Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar. Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted to assess the level of risk perception towards HIV/AIDS. This analysis utilizes data from a survey of 130 Rohingya people through face-to-face interviews utilizing a 28-item HIV-Knowledge Questionnaire. A systematic sampling technique was used to accomplish data collection survey. Analyzing was done by SPSS 25. Results: Only 41.8% of males and 58.2% of females had a good knowledge score (8 out of 11 items) regarding the transmission of HIV. Knowledge is significantly associated with female gender (χ2 = 8.927, p < 0.005). Gender differences were also significantly associated with the perceived risk of contracting HIV/AIDS in the future (p < 0.001). When rank averages were investigated, perceived risk of contracting HIV/AIDS score of the female participants (mean rank = 76.71) appeared to be higher compared to the score of male participants (mean rank = 54.29). Conclusion: Female Rohingyas perceive a higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS than male Rohingyas. Programs should address harmful gender norms, HIV testing and education emphasizing the risks involved in transactional sex within the camps.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Raymond Rui ◽  
Keqing Yang ◽  
Juan Chen

BACKGROUND As the COVID-19 pandemic has become a major public health threat worldwide, it is critical to understand what factors affect individual engagement in protective actions. Because of its authoritarian political system and state-owned media system, how Chinese individuals engaged in protective actions against COVID-19 might be different compared to other countries. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study is to examine how the source of information about COVID-19, Chinese individuals’ risk perception of COVID-19 (i.e., perceived severity and perceived susceptibility), and their efficacy appraisal in controlling COVID-19 (i.e., response efficacy and self-efficacy) affected their engagement in protective actions. Additionally, this study aims to investigate whether there is any difference in these relationships throughout the duration of this pandemic. METHODS A six-wave repeated cross-sectional survey (N = 1942) was conducted in six major cities in China between February 7 and April 23, 2020. Participants’ reliance on expert versus inexpert sources for information about COVID-19, their perceived severity of and susceptibility to COVID-19, their response efficacy and self-efficacy, and their engagement in protective actions (staying at home, wearing a facemask, and washing hands) were measured. Demographic variables (sex, age, income, education, and city of residence), knowledge of COVID-19, and self-rated health condition were controlled. RESULTS Reliance on expert sources did not become the major factor that motivated these actions until wave 3, and the negative effect of inexpert sources on these actions was limited to wave 2. Perceived severity encouraged some protective behaviors but its effect varied depending on the specific behavior. In addition, perceived severity exhibited a stronger effect on these behaviors compared to perceived susceptibility. The positive effect of response efficacy was only significant at waves 1 and 2 and limited to certain behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Chinese individuals’ engagement in protective behaviors might not entirely be their autonomous decision but a result of compliance with executive orders. After the early outbreak, expert sources started to facilitate protective behaviors, suggesting that it might take time to develop trust in these sources. The facilitating effect of perceived severity lasted throughout the duration of the pandemic, but that of response efficacy was limited to the early stage. CLINICALTRIAL


2021 ◽  
pp. 28-31
Author(s):  
Deepali Srivastava ◽  
Sandeepa Srivastava ◽  
Ashish Kumar ◽  
Sanjiv Kumar

Introduction: Osteoporosis is more prevalent in women, especially following menopause. The total affected population would have been around 35 to 40 million. Morbidity due to disease includes decreased mobility, decreased quality of life, and increased risk of mortality following an osteoporotic fracture. The morbidity due to the disease may be decreased through diet, exercise, supplementation, and medication. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of 'concern for osteoporosis' and self-perceived 'risk of osteoporosis and fracture' on antiosteoporosis behaviour such as (1) calcium and vitamin D supplementation, (2) seeking medical advice, (3) undergoing bone mineral (BMD) testing, and (4) taking antiosteoporosis medication (AOM). Material And Method:The study was conducted on women attending outpatient clinic of the Obstretics and Gynaecology and Orthopaedics department. Patients were required to ll up the Global Longitudinal Osteoporosis in Women Questionnaire. Enrolled patients were contacted after one year by means of telephone calls, hospital visits and home visits and data was collected for self-reported use of supplements, self-reported seeking of medical advice regarding osteoporosis, self-reported BMD testing, and self-reported use of antiosteoporosis medications etc. Results:Total of 1562 women were enrolled for the study out of which data of only 1000 women was analyzed at end of one year. At the end of one year period 360 women reported use of Calcium and or Vitamin D. Table 4 depicts the association between the use of vitamin supplementation and concern and risk perception. Concern (P=0.61), risk perception to osteoporosis (P=0.13), and risk perception to fracture (P=0.29) were not signicantly associated with use of vitamin supplementation in the next 12 months (i.e., calcium and/or vitamin D). Concern (p= <0.001), risk perception to osteoporosis (p=<0.001), and risk perception to fracture (p=<0.001) were signicantly associated with women seeking medical care during the next one year. Concern (p=0.35) was not signicantly associated with undergoing BMD examination. Risk perception to osteoporosis (p=0.03) and risk perception to fracture (p=0.03) were signicantly associated with women undergoing BMD medical examination in one year. Concern about osteoporosis (p=0.64) was not signicantly associated with treatment with anti-osteoporotic medication. Risk perception to osteoporosis (p=0.06) and risk perception to fracture (p=0.002) were signicantly associated with women. Conclusion: Concern for osteoporosis is associated with likelihood of seeking medical advice. Perception of risk for Osteoporosis and fractures is positively associated with seeking medical advice, BMD examination and AOM treatment


2016 ◽  
Vol 06 (02) ◽  
pp. 014-016
Author(s):  
Mamta Choudhary

Abstract Background: Reproductive tract infections form one of the major burdens of disease in developing countries. Most of the women suffer from leucorrhoea and do not present themselves for seeking medical treatment in early stage as the women has poor understanding regarding leucorrhoea. Objectives: To assess the knowledge of females regarding leucorrhoea. Study Design: Cross- sectional study. Materials and Methods: The study involved collection of information regarding knowledge of females about leucorrhoeausingmultiple-choice questionnaire. Two hundred and fifty females residing in Model Town, Ludhiana were recruited in the study by using convenient sampling. Results: The result revealed that only 20% of subjects had good level of knowledge, and 80% subject had poor level of knowledge regarding leucorrhoea. The mean knowledge score regarding leucorrhoea among subjects was 19 with a standard deviation of 3.94. The highest mean knowledge score of 19.5 + 4.69 was in the age group of >35 years.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipshikha Bajracharya ◽  
Sujaya Gupta ◽  
Manish Sapkota ◽  
Shishir Bhatta

Background: Lack of knowledge and awareness about oral cancer, its risk factors and negligence of the early warning signs play crucial role in raising the incidence of the disease. The present study was carried out to evaluate the awareness of oral cancer among patients visiting Kantipur Dental College, Kathmandu, Nepal.Methods: The cross-sectional study was done in 471 patients from 15-85 years. Self administered questionnaire was prepared which comprised of knowledge of oral cancer, source of information, its early signs and symptoms along with the awareness of its risk factors.Results: Most of the participants (41.80%) had not heard of oral cancer. 31.60% recognized tobacco smoking and tobacco chewing as the chief risk factor with 15.50% and 10.80% of participants who identified white patch and red patch as early sign of oral cancer respectively. Pearson’s chi square test was used which showed statistically significant association of total mean knowledge score and awareness score with age, education level and occupation (p<0.05).Conclusions: This study done in dental patients showed lack of knowledge and awareness in general public about oral cancer. There seem to be a need for more planned awareness programs through newspapers, radio, television and health campaigns regarding the association of habits in the development of oral cancer and benefits of detecting oral cancer at early stage for better prognosis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulcin Yapici ◽  
Oya Ögenler ◽  
Ahmet Öner Kurt ◽  
Fazıl Koçaş ◽  
Tayyar Şaşmaz

Background. Environmental destruction is one of the most important problems in this century. Objective. The aim of the study was to determine the environmental attitudes and perceived risks associated with environmental factors of the students. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 7 faculties of Mersin University. The research data were collected using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, the “Environmental Attitudes Scale,” and the “Environmental Risk Perception Scale.” 774 students who filled out questionnaires were evaluated. Results. The sample included 55.8% females. Environmental Attitudes Scale mean scores of students were identified as 81.1±11.3. The highest perceived risk was release of radioactive materials associated with nuclear power generation. The environmental attitudes and risk perception scores were higher in Health Sciences than in the other faculties. Females were more positive towards the environment and had higher risk perceptions than the men. There is a negative correlation between age and resource depletion risk and global environmental risk score. Conclusion. Students had a positive attitude to the environment and had moderate-level risk perception about the environment. Environmental awareness of students, especially those studying in the Social Sciences, should be increased. The environmental education curriculum should be revised throughout all the courses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-9
Author(s):  
Joanna Dymecka ◽  
◽  
Anna Machnik-Czerwik ◽  
Jakub Filipkowski ◽  
◽  
...  

Introduction. The outbreak of COVID-19 disease causes severe stress in health care workers, especially nurses. Nurses are at high risk of contracting the disease, as well as an increased risk of developing mental health symptoms such as fear, anxiety and work-related stress. Aim. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between fear of COVID-19, risk perception, perceived threat and stress in Polish nurses during COVID-19 outbreak. Material and Methods. 106 nurses participated in the study. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FOC-6), Risk of Contracting COVID-19 Scale and Perceived Threat of COVID-19 Scale were used in the study. Results. It has been shown that perceived stress, fear of COVID-19, perceived risk and threat are at high level. All the variables related to the perception of COVID-19 threat were significantly correlated with the perceived stress. The strongest relationship was between the risk of infection and perceived stress. Risk perception was statistically significant predictor of perceived stress. Conclusions. Polish nurses experience severe stress and perceive COVID-19 as a significant threat for their health and safety. In addition to protecting medical personnel from infection, nurses experiencing the highest levels of stress should be given psychological care and support, which could prevent the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health. (JNNN 2021;10(1):3–9)


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-206
Author(s):  
Chin Mun Wong ◽  

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Zika infection as Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2016. In this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge and risk perception towards Zika infection among the forest fringe population in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study of with 433 adult respondents in Malaysia completed the assisted-administered validated questionnaire on knowledge and perception to Zika infection. Bidirectional analysis on the person and item abilities were tested using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Rasch. The knowledge and perception levels were tested against significant sociodemographic or socioeconomic variables using Pearson’s Chi Square; covariates were then adjusted at multivariate level using binary logistic regression. Both knowledge and perception domains were well-targeted. Complementing results from SPSS and Rasch showed poor knowledge and poor risk perception levels in slightly more than half of the respondents [knowledge score: 50.8% (SPSS), 55.4% (Rasch); perception score: (58.0% (SPSS), 58.2% (Rasch)]. With covariates adjusted, non-bumiputra (non-natives) of higher education level, higher household income and recent jungle visits showed good knowledge level. Adult, menopaused women from Perak state showed better risk perception level towards Zika. Majority of the forest fringe population in Malaysia have poor knowledge and risk perception towards the Zika infection. This questionnaire is a suitable tool to assess knowledge and perception towards Zika infection among the forest fringe populations in Southeast Asia.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Qin ◽  
Shuangjiao Shi ◽  
Guiyue Ma ◽  
Xiao Li ◽  
Yinglong Duan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: In spite of strict regulation of COVID-19 preventative measures and containment in China, there are still confirmed cases sporadically occuring in many cities. College students are at a high risk of being infected, especially with the approach of vacation; thus, identifying the status and related factors of protective behaviors among them after receiving vaccination will be crucial for epidemic control. This study aimed to gather information on the protective behaviors and to identify the associations of COVID-19 risk perception, eHealth literacy and protective behaviors for Chinese college students following vaccinationMethods: A cross-sectional survey of college students who engaged in protective behaviors post vaccination was conducted using the COVID-19 risk perception scale and eHealth literacy scale in one of the groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to confirm the correlation between COVID-19 risk perception, eHealth literacy and protective behaviors for Chinese college students.Results: A total of 5641 Chinese college students were included. Male students comprised 59.01% with an average age of (21.39±2.75) years and most students rating their health as very good (44.85%) or pretty good (46.98%). A smaller percentage (13.76%) believed that they would likely or most likely be infected with COVID-19 after getting vaccinated. In addition, more than 1 in 10 (10.35%) college students had ever suspected to suffer from post-vaccination reactions following the COVID-19 vaccination. The mean score of protective behaviors was (26.06±3.97) at the middle level. Approximately one-third (30.42%) of the students always or often did not wear a mask when going out. Some college students (29.25%) did not keep at least 1 meter away from others in social situations. Older female college students who were in good health and perceived as being at a low risk of getting infected with COVID-19 did not expect to engage in post-vaccination protective measures. Those with a higher level of perceived risk, severe risk perception and eHealth literacy and a lower level of unknown risk perception were more likely to engage in further protective behaviors after getting vaccinated.Conclusions: Overall, the level of protective behaviors among Chinese college students following vaccination could use improvement, especially for male, younger college students in poor health. This study revealed the predictive effects of risk perception and eHealth literacy on protective behaviors, recommending that the negative and positive effects of risk perception should be balanced in epidemic risk management, and eHealth literacy promotion should also be emphasized for public health and social measures.


Children ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 311
Author(s):  
Xin Yu Yang ◽  
Rui Ning Gong ◽  
Samuel Sassine ◽  
Maxime Morsa ◽  
Alexandra Sonia Tchogna ◽  
...  

To explore factors influencing adolescents and young adults’ (AYAs) risk perception of COVID-19 and adherence to public health measures, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey of AYAs (14–22 years old) from Quebec (Canada) recruited through school and community partners in April 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 3037 participants (mean age = 17.7 years, 74.6% female). AYAs had higher mean (standard deviation (SD)) risk perception of COVID-19 for their relatives (8.2 (1.9)) than for themselves (5.6 (2.6)) (p < 0.001). Factors associated with higher risk perception included higher disease knowledge (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.06, 95% CI 1.01–1.11), presence of chronic disease (aOR 2.31, 95%CI 1.82–2.93) and use of immunosuppressants (aOR 2.53, 95%CI 1.67–3.87). AYAs with a higher risk perception (aOR 1.06, 95%CI 1.02–1.10) those wishing to help flatten the disease curve (aOR 1.18, 95%CI 1.12–1.25) or to protect their family/friends (aOR 1.14, 95%CI 1.05–1.24) were more likely to engage in preventive behaviors. Self-perceived risk and desire to protect others were significantly associated with adherence to preventive measures among youth. These findings may help inform public health messaging to AYAs in the current and future pandemics.


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