Research on the Anterolateral Ligament of the Knee: An Evaluation of PubMed Articles From 2010 to 2019

Background: The anterolateral ligament (ALL) of the knee remains a topic of interest. All aspects of the ligament, including its anatomy, biomechanics, imaging, and clinical importance, are areas for research among knee surgeons. Purpose: To evaluate the trends in research on the ALL of the knee, as indicated by studies indexed in PubMed from 2010 to 2019. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We searched PubMed for article titles from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2019, that included the term “anterolateral ligament.” The initial search was performed with the terms “anterolateral ligament AND knee” and “anterolateral ligament NOT knee.” Next, we performed a search using “anterolateral complex OR anterolateral reconstruction OR lateral extra-articular tenodesis” to avoid missing any studies. A bibliometric evaluation was performed for the search results, and we noted the characteristics of the most cited articles in PubMed. Results: Published studies on the ALL peaked in 2017, with 56 studies, and then declined from 2017 to 2019. The 3 leading journals with articles on the ALL were Arthroscopy; Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy; and The American Journal of Sports Medicine. Cadaveric anatomic, cadaveric biomechanical, and clinical imaging studies of the ALL were the most common types of studies published from 2010 to 2019. Clinical studies on the ALL consisted of 18 articles, with the majority displaying a low level of evidence. Conclusion: Cadaveric anatomic/histological, cadaveric biomechanical, and clinical imaging studies of the ALL were the most commonly published studies from 2010 to 2019. More clinical outcome studies with a high level of evidence are needed to increase the supporting data for the future practice of ALL reconstruction.

Download Full-text

Sports-Related Emergency Preparedness in Oregon High Schools

Sports Health A Multidisciplinary Approach ◽

10.1177/1941738116686782 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 181-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Samuel T. Johnson ◽

Marc F. Norcross ◽

Viktor E. Bovbjerg ◽

Mark A. Hoffman ◽

Eunwook Chang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Schools ◽

Emergency Preparedness ◽

Sports Medicine ◽

Best Practice ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Early Defibrillation ◽

Policy Changes ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Practice Recommendations

Background: Best practice recommendations for sports-related emergency preparation include implementation of venue-specific emergency action plans (EAPs), access to early defibrillation, and first responders—specifically coaches—trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator (AED) use. The objective was to determine whether high schools had implemented these 3 recommendations and whether schools with a certified athletic trainer (AT) were more likely to have done so. Hypothesis: Schools with an AT were more likely to have implemented the recommendations. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: All Oregon School Activities Association member school athletic directors were invited to complete a survey on sports-related emergency preparedness and AT availability at their school. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to analyze the associations between emergency preparedness and AT availability. Results: In total, 108 respondents (37% response rate) completed the survey. Exactly half reported having an AT available. Only 11% (95% CI, 6%-19%) of the schools had implemented all 3 recommendations, 29% (95% CI, 21%-39%) had implemented 2, 32% (95% CI, 24%-42%) had implemented 1, and 27% (95% CI, 19%-36%) had not implemented any of the recommendations. AT availability was associated with implementation of the recommendations (χ2 = 10.3, P = 0.02), and the proportion of schools with ATs increased with the number of recommendations implemented (χ2 = 9.3, P < 0.01). Schools with an AT were more likely to implement venue-specific EAPs (52% vs 24%, P < 0.01) and have an AED available for early defibrillation (69% vs 44%, P = 0.02) but not more likely to require coach training (33% vs 28%, P = 0.68). Conclusions: Despite best practice recommendations, most schools were inadequately prepared for sports-related emergencies. Schools with an AT were more likely to implement some, but not all, of the recommendations. Policy changes may be needed to improve implementation. Clinical Relevance: Most Oregon high schools need to do more to prepare for sports-related emergencies. The results provide evidence for sports medicine professionals and administrators to inform policy changes that ensure the safety of athletes.

Download Full-text

Accuracy Between AJSM Author-Reported Disclosures and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Database

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/0363546517750124 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 969-976 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Venkat Boddapati ◽

Michael C. Fu ◽

Benedict U. Nwachukwu ◽

Anil S. Ranawat ◽

Wilson Y. Zhen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conflict Of Interest ◽

Sports Medicine ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Lower Percentage ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medicine Research ◽

Asymmetry Of Information ◽

Food And Beverage ◽

Open Payments

Background: Inaccurate disclosures of physician and industry relationships in scientific reporting may create an asymmetry of information by hiding potential biases. The accuracy of conflict of interest disclosure in sports medicine research is unknown. Purpose: To compare author financial disclosures in published articles in 2016 in the American Journal of Sports Medicine ( AJSM) with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Open Payments Database (OPD) to determine the percentage of payments values and percentage of eligible authors with discrepancies. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; no level of evidence (nonclinical). Methods: All articles published in 2016 in AJSM were screened to identify eligible authors. On the basis of OPD reporting, physician authors affiliated with a US institution were included. Stated disclosures in AJSM publications for these authors were identified and compared with industry-reported payments on OPD. Results: A total of 434 authors were included in this study. Mean and median total payments per author per year were $76,941 and $1692, respectively. The most commonly received payment was for food and beverage (81.3% of authors), followed by travel and lodging (45.4%) and consulting (31.8%). Authors with higher total payments were less likely to be discrepant in their reporting—notably, authors earning >$500,000 had 16.1% of payment values with discrepancy, as opposed to 85.3% for those earning <$10,000 ( P < .001). First authors had a lower percentage of payment values with discrepancy (13.8%) versus middle authors (31.9%, P = .001). Finally, men had a lower percentage of payment values with discrepancy (418 authors, 22.3% of payment values with discrepancy) as compared with women (16 authors, 95.3%; P < .001). Regarding industry payments specifically requested on the AJSM disclosure form for authors (royalties, consulting, research payments, and ownership and investments), only 25.3% of authors had a discrepancy in these payment categories in aggregate. Conclusion: Discrepancies exist between disclosures reported by authors publishing in AJSM and what is reported in the OPD. Authors receiving lower total payments, middle authors, and women are more likely to have disclosure discrepancies. Additionally, industry research funding support and ownership interest are most likely to go unreported. However, this study did not assess whether authors with industry payments preferentially published studies pertaining to products from companies from which they received funding. As national registries such as the OPD are increasingly utilized, physicians may benefit from referencing such databases before submitting conflict of interest disclosures.

Download Full-text

Predictors of 5-Year Citation Rate in the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Literature

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/0363546518810504 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 206-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kamran Movassagi ◽

Kyle N. Kunze ◽

Edward C. Beck ◽

Michael C. Fu ◽

Shane J. Nho

Keyword(s):

Sports Medicine ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Citation Rate ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Interest Level ◽

The Mean ◽

Number Of Citations

Background: The citation rate of a research published article is an indicator of its quality and impact and contributes to the journal’s impact factor. Within the orthopaedic sports medicine literature, predictors of citation rates have not been previously described. Purpose: To identify characteristics of published articles that predict 5-year citation rates of studies in the orthopaedic sports medicine literature. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Research articles published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, and Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy (KSSTA) from 2012 were analyzed. Extracted characteristics of published articles included journal, author number, origin of study, first author degree, subject of study, study type, sample size, number of references and institutions, conflicts of interest, level of evidence, and 5-year citation rates. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine predictors of greater than the mean number of citations at 5 years. Results: A total of 825 published articles ( AJSM, n = 313; Arthroscopy, n = 173; KSSTA, n = 339) were included in the final analysis. The mean number of 5-year citations was 23.2 (95% CI, 21.6-24.9; range, 1.0-260.0). AJSM had a significantly greater citation rate (32.4) than Arthroscopy (21.7) and KSSTA (15.2) ( P < .001 for both). Arthroscopy had a greater citation rate than KSSTA ( P = .008). Independent predictors of greater than the mean number of citations at 5 years were published articles in AJSM (odds ratio [OR], 5.17; 95% CI, 2.81-9.52; P < .0001), published articles of North American origin (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.25-2.58; P = .002), and published articles regarding the hip (OR, 2.68; 95% CI, 1.08-6.67; P = .035). Conclusion: Published articles in AJSM, those from North America, and those examining the hip were independent predictors of greater citation rates at 5 years.

Download Full-text

Evaluating a Commonly Used Tool for Measuring Sport Specialization in Young Athletes

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-379-18 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 54 (10) ◽

pp. 1083-1088

Author(s):

Madeline Miller ◽

Sina Malekian ◽

Jamie Burgess ◽

Cynthia LaBella

Keyword(s):

Relative Risk ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Sports Medicine ◽

Sports Participation ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Survey Question ◽

Survey Tool ◽

Intensive Training ◽

High Level

Context Sport specialization has been defined as year-round intensive training in a single sport to the exclusion of other sports. A commonly used survey tool created by Jayanthi et al, which classifies athletes as having a low, moderate, or high level of specialization, categorizes only athletes answering yes to “Have you quit other sports to focus on a main sport?” as highly specialized. We hypothesized that a measureable number of year-round, single-sport athletes have never played other sports and, therefore, may be inaccurately classified as moderately specialized when using this tool, even though most experts would agree they should be viewed as highly specialized. Objective To determine the proportion of athletes misclassified as moderately rather than highly specialized because they never played a previous sport. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Hospital-based pediatric outpatient sports medicine clinic. Patients or Other Participants Injured athletes aged 12 to 17 years who presented to the clinic between 2015 and 2017 and completed a sports-participation survey (n = 917). Main Outcome Measure(s) Sport-specialization level. Results Of 917 participants, 299 (32.6%) played a single sport more than 8 months per year, and 208/299 (69.6%) had previously quit other sports (highly specialized), whereas 91 (30.4%) had never played other sports (highly specialized and misclassified as moderate). Individual-sport athletes had a 2.03 times greater risk of being highly specialized and misclassified as moderate than team-sport athletes (relative risk = 2.03 [95% confidence interval = 1.37, 3.00]). Females had a 1.70 times greater risk of being misclassified as moderately specialized than males (relative risk 1.70 [95% confidence interval = 1.07, 2.70]). Of the 3 sports with the largest number of athletes, artistic gymnastics had the highest proportion (51.2%) who had never played other sports. Conclusions The commonly used specialization survey misclassified a substantial number of highly specialized athletes as moderately specialized. Researchers should consider adding a fourth survey question, “Have you only ever played 1 sport?” to identify and better study this unique subset of misclassified athletes.

Download Full-text

Comparison of Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis and Ankylosing Spondyltis from a Single Rheumatology Hospital in Morocco

Current Rheumatology Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573397115666190222195923 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 240-244 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nessrine Akasbi ◽

Siar Nihad ◽

Zoukal Sofia ◽

El Kohen Khadija ◽

Harzy Taoufik

Keyword(s):

Disease Burden ◽

Axial Spondyloarthritis ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Low Back ◽

New Classification ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Asas Criteria ◽

History Of ◽

High Level

Background: According to the new classification criteria developed by The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society, patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) can be classified in 2 subgroups: Patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: ankylosing spondylitis patients (AS) and those with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). Objective: The aim of the present study is to describe and discuss the differences and similarities between the two subgroups. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a single rheumatology hospital in Morocco. These included patients diagnosed as having axial spondyloarthritis according to ASAS criteria 2010, during a period of 6 years. The AS and the nr-axSpA subgroups were compared for the various axSpA-related variables. Results: Of the 277 patients with a diagnosis of axial SpA who were included in this study, 160 had AS and 117 had nr-axSpA. AS and nr-ax-SpA shared a similar age at diagnosis, similar prevalence of low back pain, lumbar stiffness, extra-articular manifestations, BASDAI and BASFI. In the multivariate analysis, AS patients were mainly male with cervical stiffness, enthesitis, coxitis and high level of ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate). The females generally had a family history of SpA and arthritis and were associated to the nr-axSpA form in the univariate analysis. Conclusion: This was the first study to characterise patients with AS and nr-axSpA in Morocco. Consistent with other studies published, this study showed that patients with nr-axSpA and patients with AS shared a comparable degree of disease burden.

Download Full-text

Prevalence of Morphological Variations Associated With Femoroacetabular Impingement According to Age and Sex: A Study of 1878 Asymptomatic Hips in Nonprofessional Athletes

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120977892 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 232596712097789

Author(s):

Rodolfo Morales-Avalos ◽

Adriana Tapia-Náñez ◽

Mario Simental-Mendía ◽

Guillermo Elizondo-Riojas ◽

Michelle Morcos-Sandino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Femoroacetabular Impingement ◽

Alpha Angle ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Crossover Sign ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Radiographic Findings ◽

Morphological Variations ◽

Pelvic Radiographs ◽

Center Edge

Background: Radiographic findings related to the cam and pincer variants of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) include measurements of the alpha angle and lateral center-edge angle (LCEA). The function of these radiographic findings has been put into question because of high heterogeneity in reported studies. Purpose: The aim of this study was 3-fold: (1) to determine the prevalence of cam and pincer variants according to sex and age on anteroposterior (AP) pelvic radiographs from an asymptomatic nonathletic population, (2) to identify the most common radiographic signs of cam- and pincer-type variants, and (3) to determine if there are variations in the prevalence of these radiographic signs according to sex and age. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: There were 3 independent observers who retrospectively analyzed the 939 AP pelvic radiographs (1878 hips) of patients aged 18 to 50 years who did not have hip symptoms and who were not professional athletes. The prevalence of the cam and pincer variants according to the alpha angle and LCEA, respectively, and the presence of other radiographic signs commonly associated with these variables were determined in the overall population and by subgroup according to sex and age group (18-30, 31-40, and 41-50 years). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the study sample. Results: The mean age of the included population was 31.0 ± 9.2 years, and 68.2% were male. The prevalence of the cam-type variant was 29.7% (558/1878), and that of the pincer-type variant was 24.3% (456/1878). The radiographic signs that were most associated with the cam and pincer variants were a pistol-grip deformity and the crossover sign, respectively. Significant differences ( P < .001) in the prevalence of these variants were identified between men and women in both variants. No differences were observed in the alpha angle or LCEA according to sex or age. Conclusion: Radiographic findings suggestive of FAI had significant variations with respect to sex and age in this study sample. This study provides information to determine the prevalence of these anatomic variants in the general population.

Download Full-text

Burnout and Its Relationship with Demographic and Job-Related Variables among Dentists in Lithuania: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18083968 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 3968

Author(s):

Eglė Slabšinskienė ◽

Andrej Gorelik ◽

Aistė Kavaliauskienė ◽

Apolinaras Zaborskis

Keyword(s):

Job Satisfaction ◽

Emotional Exhaustion ◽

Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Personal Accomplishment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Satisfaction Index ◽

Sum Score ◽

Sum Scores ◽

High Level

Although burnout has been described as a serious hazard for personal and professional lives and has been surveyed among dentists in many countries, no study has been published regarding burnout among dentists in Lithuania. This study aimed to evaluate the burnout level among Lithuanian dentists and its association with demographic variables, job satisfaction, and other job-related variables. The data were collected among dentists online or during professional conferences while using an anonymous questionnaire (n = 380). The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to evaluate the burnout level. A Poisson regression was applied for the analysis of relationships between variables. We observed that 42.3% of the respondents had a high emotional exhaustion (EE) (95% confidence interval (CI): 37.4–42.3%), while 18.7% (95% CI: 15.0–22.9%) and 28,2% (95% CI: 23.4–32.6%) had high depersonalization (DP) and low personal accomplishment (PA), respectively. Nonetheless, 15.3% (95% CI: 11.8–18.9%) of the study population experienced a high level of overall burnout. An original job satisfaction index was elaborated. It was significantly associated with sum scores of all burnout dimensions: with the EE sum score (Ratio of Sum Score Means (RSSM) 1.54; 95% CI: 1.46–1.62), DP sum score (RSSM 1.59; 95% CI: 1.45–1.74), and PA sum score (RSSM 0.88; 95% CI: 0.84–0.92). It was concluded that Lithuanian dentists can be characterised by high burnout intensity and high prevalence of burnout, being especially evident in emotional exhaustion. The dentist with low job satisfaction appeared to be the most vulnerable to all burnout dimensions.

Download Full-text

Injuries to the anterolateral ligament are observed more frequently compared to lesions to the deep iliotibial tract (Kaplan fibers) in anterior cruciate ligamant deficient knees using magnetic resonance imaging

Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology Arthroscopy ◽

10.1007/s00167-021-06535-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Armin Runer ◽

Dietmar Dammerer ◽

Christoph Kranewitter ◽

Johannes M. Giesinger ◽

Benjamin Henninger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pediatric Patients ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Injury Rate ◽

Anterolateral Ligament ◽

Anatomical Reconstruction ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Iliotibial Tract ◽

Anterolateral Complex ◽

Anterior Cruciate ◽

Combined Injuries

Abstract Purpose To determine the accuracy of detection, injury rate and inter- and intrarater reproducibility in visualizing lesions to the anterolateral ligament (ALL) and the deep portion of the iliotibial tract (dITT) in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient knees. Methods Ninety-one consecutive patients, out of those 25 children (age 14.3 ± 3.5 years), with diagnosed ACL tears were included. Two musculoskeletal radiologists retrospectively reviewed MRI data focusing on accuracy of detection and potential injuries to the ALL or dITT. Lesion were diagnosed in case of discontinued fibers in combination with intra- or peri-ligamentous edema and graded as intact, partial or complete tears. Cohen’s Kappa and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were determined for inter- and intrarater reliability measures. Results The ALL and dITT were visible in 52 (78.8%) and 56 (84.8%) of adult-and 25 (100%) and 19 (76.0%) of pediatric patients, respectively. The ALL was injured in 45 (58.5%; partial: 36.4%, compleate: 22.1%) patients. Partial and comleate tears, where visualized in 21 (40.4%) and 16 (30.8%) adult- and seven (28.0%) and one (4%) peditric patients. A total of 16 (21.3%; partial: 13.3%, compleate: 8.0%) dITT injuries were identified. Partal and complete lesions were seen in seven (12.5%) and five (8.9%) adult- and three (15.8%) and one (5.3%) pediatric patients. Combined injuries were visualized in nine (12.7%) patients. Inter-observer (0.91–0.95) and intra-observer (0.93–0.95) reproducibility was high. Conclusion In ACL injured knees, tears of the ALL are observed more frequently compared to lesions to the deep iliotibial tract. Combined injuries of both structures are rare. Clinically, the preoperative visualization of potentially injured structures of the anterolateral knee is crucial and is important for a more personalized preoperative planning and tailored anatomical reconstruction. The clinical implication of injuries to the anterolateral complex of the knee needs further investigation. Level of evidence II.

Download Full-text

In Response to COVID-19: Current Trends in Orthopaedic Surgery Sports Medicine Fellowships

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120987004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 232596712098700

Author(s):

Jordan L. Liles ◽

Richard Danilkowicz ◽

Jeffrey R. Dugas ◽

Marc Safran ◽

Dean Taylor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sports Medicine ◽

Skills Training ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Surgical Skills ◽

Human Interaction ◽

Third Party ◽

Service Needs ◽

Case Volume ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sports Coverage

Background: The COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the health care system and education models. The reduction in case volume, transition to remote learning, lack of sports coverage opportunities, and decreased clinical interactions have had an immediate effect on orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship programs. Purpose/Hypothesis: Our purpose was to gauge the response to the pandemic from a sports medicine fellowship education perspective. We hypothesized that (1) the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant change in training programs, (2) in-person surgical skills training and didactic learning would be substituted with virtual learning, and (3) hands-on surgical training and case numbers would decrease and the percentage of fellows graduating with skill levels commensurate with graduation would decrease. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: In May 2020, a survey was sent to the fellowship directors of all 90 orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; it included questions on program characteristics, educational lectures, and surgical skills. A total of 37 completed surveys (41%) were returned, all of which were deidentified. Responses were compiled and saved on a closed, protected institutional server. Results: In a majority of responding programs (89%), fellows continued to participate in the operating room. Fellows continued with in-person clinical visits in 65% of programs, while 51% had their fellows participate in telehealth visits. Fellows were “redeployed” to help triage and assist with off-service needs in 21% of programs compared with 65% of resident programs having residents rotate off service. Regarding virtual education, 78% of programs have used or are planning to use platforms offered by medical societies, and 49% have used or are planning to use third-party independent education platforms. Of the 37 programs, 30 reported no in-person lectures or meetings, and there was a sharp decline in the number of programs participating in cadaver laboratories (n = 10; 27%) and industry courses (n = 6; 16%). Conclusion: Virtual didactic and surgical education and training as well as telehealth will play a larger role in the coming year than in the past. There are effects to fellows’ exposure to sports coverage and employment opportunities. The biggest challenge will be how to maintain the element of human interaction and connect with patients and trainees at a time when social distancing is needed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Download Full-text

HANDLING DISTRUST ON RISK COMMUNICATION IN NIGERIA: A STRATEGY TO STRENGTHENING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK RESPONSE

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2021.245 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-22

Author(s):

Olayinka Stephen Ilesanmi ◽

Priscilla Onaopemipo Akosile ◽

Aanuoluwapo Adeyimika Afolabi ◽

Victor Okoliko Ukwenya

Keyword(s):

Risk Communication ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Outbreak Response ◽

Community Members ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Level Of Significance ◽

High Level

Abstract Background This study aimed to assess the level of trust in the COVID-19 risk communication efforts in Nigeria. Methods We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among community members aged 15 years and above in Ondo state in October, 2020. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics were summarized using frequencies. Trust was ranked from “1” implying “Low level of trust” to “7” denoting “High level of trust”. We conducted bivariate Chi-square test on respondents’ level of trust in the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and socio-demographic characteristics. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results Among the 691 respondents, 244 (35.3%) were aged 21 to 29 years, and 304 (51.4%) used the NCDC to obtain COVID-19 knowledge. Overall, 205 (41.8%) had high level of trust in the NCDC. Furthermore, 51 (51.5%) individuals aged 30-39 years had high level of trust in the NCDC (ᵡ2=17.455, p= 0.001). Also, 114 (48.5%) persons who lived with children below 18 years had high level of trust in the NCDC (ᵡ2= 8.266, p= 0.004). Conclusion Policy makers should prioritize the involvement of young and educated persons in COVID-19 risk communication strategies.

Download Full-text