scholarly journals Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and the effects of COVID-19 on health seeking behaviors among young people in Kenya

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evalin Karijo ◽  
Sylvia Wamugi ◽  
Samuel Lemanyishoe ◽  
Jenny Njuki ◽  
Faith Boit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
First Case

Abstract Background: The cases of Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in Kenya have been increasing rapidly, since the first case was confirmed in early March, 2020. In the wake of the crisis around COVID-19, the health and socio-economic challenges experienced by Kenya’s largest demography, the youth, are likely to elevated. This study sought to establish knowledge levels, gaps and attitude of the youth with regards to COVID-19 and identify the effects of the pandemic on health seeking behaviour and socio-economic status of youth.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 2,153 youth across 47 counties in Kenya, through a combined online survey and phone interviews. All survey responses analyzed using STATA v15 were tabulated by gender, age, education level to generate basic descriptive tables and tested for differences by category using chi-square tests with a significance level of 0.05. Where applicable linear and logistic regression analysis model was conducted with covariates such as employment status, gender and education level were used.Results: Knowledge on symptoms of COVID-19 was generally high. Female respondents were more likely to name more symptoms correctly compared to men; p<0.001. However, youth reported very low levels of anyone being at risk of infection (7%). Since they started receiving messaging on COVID-19, most youth have adopted behavior necessary to slow down the infection. There were generally very low reported levels of inability to access health services related to sexual and reproductive health. About 50% of respondents reported significant decline in income during the pandemic period, while nearly a third reported living in fear while 27% reported feeling stressed.Conclusion: Our study revealed considerably high knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, preventive strategies and most commonly sources of information that are instructive for the pandemic response. Findings suggest messaging campaigns should focus on reaching clarifying risk groups. The need to track health service use among youth is essential to lay longer term strategies towards minimizing potential long-term consequences of the pandemic. Strategies to sustain behaviors positively adopted and leverage the vast network of youth as champions of behavior change will be critical to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and the effects of COVID-19 among the youth in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evalin Karijo ◽  
Sylvia Wamugi ◽  
Samuel Lemanyishoe ◽  
Jenny Njuki ◽  
Faith Boit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
First Case

Abstract Background: Cases of the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in Kenya have continued to increase rapidly, since the first case in the country was confirmed in March 2020. In the wake of the pandemic, the health and socio-economic challenges experienced by the youth in Kenya are likely to be elevated. We assessed knowledge, practices, perceived risk, adoption of recommended behaviour and the effects of COVID-19 among the youth in Kenya.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted between April 30th to May 7th, 2020 through a combined online survey and phone interviews. A total of 2,156 youth across all 47 counties in Kenya completed the responses to the study questions. All survey responses analyzed using STATA v15 were tabulated by gender, age, and education level to generate basic descriptive tables and tested for differences by category using chi-square tests. Where applicable, linear and logistic regression analysis model was conducted using covariates such as employment status, gender, and education level. Results: Knowledge on symptoms of COVID-19 was generally high. Female respondents were more likely to identify more symptoms correctly compared to men; p<0.001. However, youth reported very low levels of anyone being at risk of infection (7%). Most youth have adopted behavior necessary to slow down the infection. There were generally very low reported levels of inability to access health services related to sexual and reproductive health. About 50% of respondents reported significant decline in income during the pandemic period, nearly a third reported living in fear while 27% reported feeling stressed. Conclusion: There was high knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, preventive strategies, and high adoption of preventive practices. Strategies to sustain behaviors positively adopted among young people will be critical to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Despite low reported rates of inability to access sexual and reproductive health, response measures should include strategies that facilitate continuity of services among young people. The reported social effects of the pandemic show the need for interventions to meet the health and socioeconomic needs of the youth and minimize the long-term consequences of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and the effects of COVID-19 among the youth in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evalin Karijo ◽  
Sylvia Wamugi ◽  
Samuel Lemanyishoe ◽  
Jenny Njuki ◽  
Faith Boit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
First Case

Abstract Background Cases of the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in Kenya have continued to increase rapidly, since the first case in the country was confirmed in March 2020. In the wake of the pandemic, the health and socio-economic challenges experienced by the youth in Kenya are likely to be elevated. We assessed knowledge, practices, perceived risk of infection, adoption of recommended behaviour and the effects of COVID-19 among the youth in Kenya. Methods A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted between April 30th to May 7th, 2020 through a combined online survey and phone interviews. A total of 2156 youth across all 47 counties in Kenya completed the responses to the study questions. All survey responses analyzed using Stata version 15 were tabulated by gender, age, and education level to generate basic descriptive tables and tested for differences by category using chi-square tests. Where applicable, linear and logistic regression analysis model was conducted using covariates such as employment status, gender, and education level. Results Knowledge on symptoms of COVID-19 was generally high. Female respondents were more likely to identify more symptoms correctly compared to men (p < 0.001). However, youth reported very low levels of anyone being at risk of infection (7.1%). Most youth have adopted behavior necessary to slow down the infection. There were generally very low reported levels of inability to access health services related to sexual and reproductive health. About 50.0% of respondents reported significant decline in income during the pandemic period, nearly a third reported living in fear while 26.5% reported feeling stressed. Conclusion There was high knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, preventive strategies, and high adoption of preventive practices. Strategies to sustain behaviors positively adopted among young people will be critical to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Despite the low reported rates of inability to access sexual and reproductive health, response measures should include strategies that facilitate continuity of services among young people. The reported social effects of the pandemic show the need for interventions to meet the health and socio-economic needs of the youth and minimize the long-term consequences of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Survey of young people in one region of the UK on accessing COVID-19 information (SOCIAL)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e000942
Author(s):  
Oliver G P Lawton ◽  
Sarah A Lawton ◽  
Lisa Dikomitis ◽  
Joanne Protheroe ◽  
Joanne Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Education Gaps ◽  
The Uk

COVID-19 has significantly impacted young people’s lives yet little is known about the COVID-19 related sources of information they access. We performed a cross-sectional survey of pupils (11–16 years) in North Staffordshire, UK. 408 (23%) pupils responded to an online survey emailed to them by their school. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. Social media, accessed by 68%, played a significant role in the provision of information, despite it not being considered trustworthy. 89% felt that COVID-19 had negatively affected their education. Gaps in the provision of information on COVID-19 have been identified.

scholarly journals Experiences of Australian podiatrists working through the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: an online survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cylie M. Williams ◽  
Anna Couch ◽  
Terry Haines ◽  
Hylton B. Menz
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Medical Officer ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Business Decisions ◽  
Working Through ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Background On the 19th of January, 2020, the Chief Medical Officer of Australia issued a statement about a novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2. Since this date, there have been variable jurisdictional responses, including lockdowns, and restrictions on podiatry practice. This study aimed to describe impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the podiatry profession in Australia. Methods This was a cross sectional study of Australian podiatrists using demographic data collected between 2017 and 2020, and pandemic-related question responses collected between 30th March and 31st August, 2020. Data were collected online and participants described their work settings, patient funding types, business decisions and impacts, and information sources used to guide practice decisions during this time-period. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse open-ended questions about their practice impact of SARS-CoV-2. Results There were 732 survey responses, with 465 Australian podiatrists or podiatric surgeons providing responses describing pandemic impact. From these responses, 223 (49% of 453) podiatrists reported no supply issues, or having adequate supplies for the foreseeable future with personal protective equipment (PPE) or consumables to support effective infection prevention and control. The most frequent responses about employment, or hours of work, impact were reported in the various categories of “business as usual” (n = 312, 67%). Participants described most frequently using the local state and territory Department of Health websites (n = 347, 75%), and the Australian Podiatry Association (n = 334, 72%) to make decisions about their business. Overarching themes which resounded through open-ended comments was that working through the pandemic was likened to a marathon, and not a sprint. Themes were: (i) commitment to do this, (ii) it’s all in the plan, but not everything goes to plan, (iii) my support team must be part of getting through it, (iv) road blocks happen, and (v) nothing is easy, what’s next? Conclusion Podiatrists in Australia reported variable pandemic impact on their business decisions, PPE stores, and their valued sources of information. Podiatrists also described their “marathon” journey through the pandemic to date, with quotes describing their challenges and highlights. Describing these experiences should provide key learnings for future workforce challenges, should further restrictions come into place.

scholarly journals Examining Australian’s beliefs, misconceptions and sources of information for COVID-19: a national online survey

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e043421
Author(s):  
Rae Thomas ◽  
Hannah Greenwood ◽  
Zoe A Michaleff ◽  
Eman Abukmail ◽  
Tammy C Hoffmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Commercial Television ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Public Health Strategies

ObjectivePublic cooperation to practise preventive health behaviours is essential to manage the transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. We aimed to investigate beliefs about COVID-19 diagnosis, transmission and prevention that have the potential to impact the uptake of recommended public health strategies.DesignAn online cross-sectional survey.ParticipantsA national sample of 1500 Australian adults with representative quotas for age and gender provided by an online panel provider.Main outcome measureProportion of participants with correct/incorrect knowledge of COVID-19 preventive behaviours and reasons for misconceptions.ResultsOf the 1802 potential participants contacted, 289 did not qualify, 13 declined and 1500 participated in the survey (response rate 83%). Most participants correctly identified ‘washing your hands regularly with soap and water’ (92%) and ‘staying at least 1.5 m away from others’ (90%) could help prevent COVID-19. Over 40% (incorrectly) considered wearing gloves outside of the home would prevent them from contracting COVID-19. Views about face masks were divided. Only 66% of participants correctly identified that ‘regular use of antibiotics’ would not prevent COVID-19.Most participants (90%) identified ‘fever, fatigue and cough’ as indicators of COVID-19. However, 42% of participants thought that being unable to ‘hold your breath for 10 s without coughing’ was an indicator of having the virus. The most frequently reported sources of COVID-19 information were commercial television channels (56%), the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (43%) and the Australian Government COVID-19 information app (31%).ConclusionsPublic messaging about hand hygiene and physical distancing to prevent transmission appears to have been effective. However, there are clear, identified barriers for many individuals that have the potential to impede uptake or maintenance of these behaviours in the long term. We need to develop public health messages that harness these barriers to improve future cooperation. Ensuring adherence to these interventions is critical.

scholarly journals Pharmacists’ Perception of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11541
Author(s):  
Tamara Al-Daghastani ◽  
Odate Tadros ◽  
Shereen Arabiyat ◽  
Deema Jaber ◽  
Husam AlSalamat
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
Second Wave

Objectives: To analyze the role of pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic, to measure pharmacists’ attitude toward COVID-19 safety measures (wearing masks, wearing gloves, isolation shield, good hygiene, etc.), and explore their perspectives regarding a second wave of the virus. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey study was conducted in Jordan during the COVID-19 outbreak in July 2020 to discuss Jordanian pharmacists’ awareness of safety at their workplace during the COVID-19 outbreak, their sources of information, and their predictions for COVID-19 vaccination. Results: The participants (n = 311) were all pharmacists mostly aged between 23–30 years old (45%) and female (83%). The primary source of information about COVID-19 was social networking (38.9%). Pharmacists were committed to social distancing (86.5%) and wearing masks (76.2%). They expressed levels of agreement to their role in decreasing COVID-19 spread (94.2%) and correcting false information (94.5%); they expressed levels of expectation toward concern about a second COVID-19 wave (83%) that would be more severe than the previous one (43.4%). Pharmacists expected that an influenza vaccine might be helpful in decreasing severity and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic (56.9%). Pharmacists expected COVID-19 vaccine development within 6 months of administering our study survey (84.9%) and that vaccination might be effective in preventing COVID-19 (93%) infection. Conclusion: Pharmacists expressed positive roles on COVID-19 spread through exemplary actions, self-commitment to protection measures, and public health awareness. Social media as a source of health information should be cautiously investigated, and pharmacists should always refer to evidence-based sources. The role of pharmacists is particularly important for the upcoming era of COVID-19 vaccination administration and awareness.

scholarly journals Predictors of Health Seeking Behaviours for Common Childhood Illnesses in Poor Resource Settings in Zambia, A Community Cross Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Golden Apuleni ◽  
Choolwe Jacobs ◽  
Patrick Musonda
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Seek Health Care ◽  
Childhood Illnesses

Background: Developing countries, including Zambia, account for larger share of child morbidities and mortalities due to common childhood illnesses. Studies on wider determinants of behaviour pertaining to treatment seeking for childhood febrile illnesses in poor resource settings are limited. This study investigated health seeking behaviours of mothers in poor resource settings of Zambia and identified associated factors.Methods: Secondary data from a community cross sectional study design from the Health for the Poorest Population (HPP) Project was analysed between March and May 2019. Data was collected between May and August, 2013. It was collected by means of administering a structured questionnaire from the mothers of under-five children. The survey took place in Samfya and Chiengi of Luapula province while in Northern Province, Luwingu and Mungwi were settled for. A total of 1 653 mothers of under 5 years who had an episode of diarrhoea, malaria, pneumonia or a combination of any of them not more than 14 days before the interview were included in the study. A sample size was arrived at using A Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) method. In order to determine the associations between respondent's demographic characteristics and health seeking behaviour, chi square test of independence was carried out. Multivariable logistic regression was also done to identify predictors of health seeking behaviours for common childhood illnesses in children aged &lt;5 years old in poor resource settings.Results: Among the mothers interviewed, 64.6% were married while 35.4% were unmarried. Their mean age was 32 years. Mothers who took their sick children to the health facilities for the purpose of seeking health care for their child for either of the illnesses accounted for 75.2%, [95% CI: 0.62–0.96], while 24.8% did not seek health care for their sick child. Factors typically associated with health seeking behaviours were mothers' marital status [aOR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.58–0.94], and mothers ‘education level [aOR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.13–1.92].Conclusion: It was established in this study that health care seeking behaviours for these common childhood illnesses in poor resource settings was relatively high and could be predicted by mother's education level and mothers' marital status. Integrating interventions targeted at increasing utilisation of maternal and child health services with basic education to women and moral support counselling to families may potentially maximise health seeking behaviours in marginalised communities.

scholarly journals Lifestyle breast cancer patients among Indonesian women: A nationwide survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 730
Author(s):  
Solikhah Solikhah ◽  
Khairunnisaa Nuur Aliifah Setyawati ◽  
Monthida Sangruangake
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
High School ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Breast Cancer Incidence ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Major Health Problem ◽  
Significance Level

Recently, cancer is a major health problem in the world. Lifestyle changes and growing urbanization likely led to increasing breast cancer incidence in such in Indonesia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore lifestyle breast cancer patients among Indonesian women. The investigation was a cross-sectional study distributed among 3,392 females drawn from 13 out of 27 provinces in Indonesia. Multiple binary logistic regressions were conducted to investigate breast cancer risk among Indonesian. A significance level of 0.05 was employed in all analysis. Of the 3,392 respondents included in the analysis, more than half (52.71%; n=1,788) was aged 40–49 years old. The most common marital status of the participants was married (98.20%; n=3,331), followed by no smoking (94.69%; n=3,212) and active exercise (62.12%; n=2,107). Education level was significantly associated with breast cancer (AdjOR_Junior high school=0.21; 95%CI=0.06 to 0.70; p&lt;0.01 and AdjOR_senior high school=0.60; 95%CI=0.15 to 2.26; p&lt;0.05). Education level was significantly related to breast cancer. Lifestyle such as smoking and physical activity was suspected to affect breast cancer indirectly.

Prevalence and Attitudes towards Using Protein Supplements Among Female Gym Users: an Online Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maha H. Alhussain ◽  
Waad S. Abdulhalim ◽  
Laila Naif Al-harbi ◽  
Manal Abdulaziz Binobead
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Protein Supplementation ◽  
Protein Supplement ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Exercise Frequency ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Protein Supplements ◽  
Supplement Use

Background: Protein supplements have become a widespread practice amongst athletes and gym users worldwide. However, studies on the use of protein supplements among female gym users in Saudi Arabia are lacking. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of protein supplement usage among female gym users and their attitudes towards protein supplementation in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 502 female gym users aged ≥18 years completed a structured, self-administered online questionnaire on the usage of protein supplementation. Socio-demographic information, anthropometry, health status, exercise frequency, attitudes and knowledge regarding protein supplements were obtained. Results: The overall prevalence rate of protein supplement use among the study respondents was 36.3%. There were significant associations between the use of protein supplements and educational level (p< 0.05), the duration of being a gym member (p< 0.05) and frequency of gym visits per week (p< 0.05). Whey protein was the predominantly used supplement (57.8%), and the reason attributed to the use of protein supplement was muscle building (53.9%). The main sources of information regarding protein supplement use included the internet (30.2%) followed by gym coaches (25.3%). Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that a considerable number of females exercising in gyms use protein supplements, and most rely on unreliable sources for decision-making of protein supplements use. Nutritional education and consultations regarding protein supplement use are warranted.

The role of Science Literacy, Trust, and Impulsivity on Adherence to COVID-19 Recommendations: Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perla Amalia Vargas ◽  
Nicole M Lee ◽  
Scott Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Science Literacy ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fox News ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Public Health Campaigns ◽  
Perfect Adherence

BACKGROUND To slow down transmission and prevent deaths in the face of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic, the public needs to adhere to recommendations to limit exposure and the spread of the disease. There is emerging evidence that television viewership choices and partisanship are associated to adherence to COVID-19 -related preventive recommendations. On the other hand, some suggest that believing fake news may be due to impulsivity or a lack of thinking rather than partisanship. OBJECTIVE To test whether 1) individuals with high levels of impulsivity will be less likely to adhere to COVID-19 recommendations; and 2) if the odds of adhering to the recommendations will be higher for those with positive attitudes toward science, higher levels of science literacy, and COVID-19 knowledge, who get their news from scientific/reliable sources. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional online survey administered via Qualtrics (Provo, UT). COVID-related survey items were extracted from recent COVID-19 studies. Respondents completed assessments on impulsiveness, perception of scientists and science literacy. selected their common sources of information including conservative and liberal media (e.g., Fox News or One America News Network – OANN and MSNBC or CNN). The sample was recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and from the student population of a large university in the southwestern U.S. After removing incomplete responses, the final sample included 1223 cases. RESULTS Consistent with previous reports, compared to respondents who got their News from sources other than Fox News or OANN, those who reported Fox News or OANN as their main source of information had significantly lower scores of COVID-19 knowledge. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that impulsivity was associated with adherence: high scores was associated to adherence failure while low scores were associated to perfect adherence. COVID-19 knowledge and trust in scientists showed the same significant associations: high knowledge scores were associated to perfect adherence and low to failure. Contrary to our hypothesis, Science Literacy did not predict adherence. Finally, race was also significantly associated with adherence: being white was associated to adherence failure while being non-white predicted perfect adherence. CONCLUSIONS To increase voluntary adherence to COVID-19 measures, it is critical to implement public health campaigns that foster trust in authorities –Republican and Democrat-- and leverage trustworthy individuals in the community to disseminate information. For individuals with high levels of impulsivity, environmental restructuring, and/or nudging may be necessary to increase adherence to preventive recommendations.

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