Assessment of preventive behavior and associated factors towards COVID-19 in Qellam Wallaga Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

Birhanu Gutu; Genene Legese; Nigussie Fikadu; Birhanu Kumela; Firafan Shuma; Wakgari Mosisa; Zelalem Regassa; Yoseph Shiferaw; Lata Tesfaye; Buli Yohannes; Kogila Palanimuthu; Zewudie Birhanu; Desalegn Shiferaw

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0251062

Assessment of preventive behavior and associated factors towards COVID-19 in Qellam Wallaga Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

PLoS One. 2021 Apr 30;16(4):e0251062. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251062. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dambi Dollo University, Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia.
² Qellam Wallaga Zone Health Department, Oromia Regional Health Bureau, Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia.
³ Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Dambi Dollo University, Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Physics, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Dambi Dollo University, Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia.
⁵ Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Science, Dambi Dollo University, Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia.
⁶ Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dambi Dollo University, Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia.
⁷ Deparment of Health, Behavior, and Society, Faculty of Public Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: The world is being challenged by the COVID-19 outbreak that resulted in a universal concern and economic hardship. It is a leading public health emergency across the globe in general and developing countries in particular. Strengthening good preventive behavior is the best way to tackle such pandemics.

Objective: The study assessed preventive behavior and associated factors towards COVID-19 among residents of Qellam Wallaga Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, 2020.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected by interview and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Binomial logistic regression was used to test the association between the variables. An Adjusted Prevalence with 95% CI was used to express the associations and interpret the findings.

Results: Among 634 participants, 417(65.8%) were from urban residences, and 347 (54.7%) belongs to a female. Age ranges 18 years through 87 years. Only 68(10.7%) participants showed good preventive behavior for COVID-19. The majority of them (84.7%) perceived that the disease is very dangerous and 450(71.0%) of them believe that they are at high risk. More than 17% of the respondents have sufficient knowledge. Respondents with sufficient knowledge about COVID-19 were about 2 times more likely to exercise good preventive behavior compare to those with insufficient knowledge, [(APR: 2.1; 95% CI: [1.2, 3.9)]. The urban residents was 3.3 more than that of rural residents to practice good preventive behavior, [(APR: 3.3; 95% CI: [1.6, 6.4)]. Respondents who use social media as a source of information were more than 2 times more likely to have good preventive behavior compared to those who did not, [(APR: 2.3; 95% CI: [1.3, 3.4)].

Conclusion: Adoptions of COVID-19 preventive behavior in the study population is very low. Due emphasis should be given to rural residents. Risk communication activities should be strengthened through effective community engagement to slow down and stop the transmssion of the disease in the community.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
COVID-19 / epidemiology
COVID-19 / prevention & control*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ethiopia / epidemiology
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Rural Population
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification
Social Media
Urban Population
Young Adult

Grants and funding

This study was funded by Dambi Dollo University. The university covered all costs related to the study design, data collection and analysis and preparation of the manuscript. BG received the fund and used for the intended purposes. BG, GL, NF, BK, FS, WM, YS, LT, BY, KP and DS: received salary from Dambi Dollo University. The fund has no specific grant number. The university website is: https://dadu.edu.et/.