Risk perception of COVID-19 among sub-Sahara Africans: a web-based comparative survey of local and diaspora residents

Emmanuel Kwasi Abu; Richard Oloruntoba; Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu; Dipesh Bhattarai; Chundung Asabe Miner; Piwuna Christopher Goson; Raymond Langsi; Obinna Nwaeze; Timothy G Chikasirimobi; Godwin O Ovenseri-Ogbomo; Bernadine N Ekpenyong; Deborah Donald Charwe; Khathutshelo Percy Mashige; Tanko Ishaya; Kingsley Emwinyore Agho

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-11600-3

Risk perception of COVID-19 among sub-Sahara Africans: a web-based comparative survey of local and diaspora residents

BMC Public Health. 2021 Aug 18;21(1):1562. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-11600-3.

Authors

Emmanuel Kwasi Abu¹, Richard Oloruntoba², Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu^{3

4}, Dipesh Bhattarai⁵, Chundung Asabe Miner⁶, Piwuna Christopher Goson⁷, Raymond Langsi⁸, Obinna Nwaeze⁹, Timothy G Chikasirimobi¹⁰, Godwin O Ovenseri-Ogbomo^{11

12

13}, Bernadine N Ekpenyong^{11

14}, Deborah Donald Charwe¹⁵, Khathutshelo Percy Mashige¹¹, Tanko Ishaya¹⁶, Kingsley Emwinyore Agho^{11

17}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Optometry and Vision Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast, 00233, Cape Coast, Ghana.
² School of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6151, Australia.
³ Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, 2560, Australia. l.osuagwu@westernsydney.edu.au.
⁴ Discipline of Optometry, School of Health Sciences, African Vision Research Institute (AVRI), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 3629, South Africa. l.osuagwu@westernsydney.edu.au.
⁵ Faculty of Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, College of Health Sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria.
⁸ Health Division, University of Bamenda Bambili, Bamenda, Cameroon.
⁹ County Durham and Darlington National Health Service (NHS) Foundation, Darlington, DL3 0PD, UK.
¹⁰ Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, School of Public Health, Biomedical Sciences and Technology, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, 50100, Kenya.
¹¹ Discipline of Optometry, School of Health Sciences, African Vision Research Institute (AVRI), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 3629, South Africa.
¹² Department of Optometry, Center for Health Sciences, University of Highlands and Islands, Old Perth Road, IV2 3JH, Scotland.
¹³ Department of Optometry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
¹⁴ Department of Public Health, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
¹⁵ Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center, P. O. Box 977, Dar-es Salaam, Tanzania.
¹⁶ Department of Computer Science, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria.
¹⁷ School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, 2560, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Perceived risk towards the coronavirus pandemic is key to improved compliance with public health measures to reduce the infection rates. This study investigated how Sub-Saharan Africans (SSA) living in their respective countries and those in the diaspora perceive their risk of getting infected by the COVID-19 virus as well as the associated factors.

Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey on 1969 participants aged 18 years and above (55.1% male) was conducted between April 27th and May 17th 2020, corresponding to the mandatory lockdown in most SSA countries. The dependent variable was the perception of risk for contracting COVID-19 scores. Independent variables included demographic characteristics, and COVID-19 related knowledge and attitude scores. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses identified the factors associated with risk perception towards COVID-19.

Results: Among the respondents, majority were living in SSA (n = 1855, 92.8%) and 143 (7.2%) in the diaspora. There was no significant difference in the mean risk perception scores between the two groups (p = 0.117), however, those aged 18-28 years had lower risk perception scores (p = 0.003) than the older respondents, while those who were employed (p = 0.040) and had higher levels of education (p < 0.001) had significantly higher risk perception scores than other respondents. After adjusting for covariates, multivariable analyses revealed that SSA residents aged 39-48 years (adjusted coefficient, β = 0.06, 95% CI [0.01, 1.19]) and health care sector workers (β = 0.61, 95% CI [0.09, 1.14]) reported a higher perceived risk of COVID-19. Knowledge and attitude scores increased as perceived risk for COVID-19 increased for both SSAs in Africa (β = 1.19, 95% CI [1.05, 1.34] for knowledge; β = 0.63, 95% CI [0.58, 0.69] for attitude) and in Diaspora (β = 1.97, 95% CI [1.16, 2.41] for knowledge; β = 0.30, 95% CI [0.02, 0.58] for attitude).

Conclusions: There is a need to promote preventive measures focusing on increasing people's knowledge about COVID-19 and encouraging positive attitudes towards the mitigation measures such as vaccines and education. Such interventions should target the younger population, less educated and non-healthcare workers.

Keywords: Africa; COVID-19; Diaspora; Knowledge; Lockdown; Pandemic; Risk perception; Sub-Sahara Africa.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Africa South of the Sahara / epidemiology
COVID-19*
Communicable Disease Control
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Human Migration
Humans
Internet
Male
Perception
SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult