Factors associated with COVID-19 knowledge among Ghanaians: A national survey

Abstract

Background Adequate knowledge about COVID-19 in a population may be relevant in the fight to control its spread among the populace. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the factors associated with real knowledge of COVID-19 among Ghanaians to promote effective dissemination of appropriate information aimed at containing the spread. Methods A cross-sectional online survey and computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) was conducted among Ghanaians aged 18 years and above across the 260 districts of Ghana. The survey assessed the level of knowledge of COVID-19 and its associated factors and compared differences between perceived and real knowledge. One district health promotion officer per district was trained for the data collection. Participants were recruited via use of phone directories of both organized and non-organized local district groups. Phone calls were made to randomly selected phone contacts to schedule options for participation in the study. We used multivariable logistic regression to investigate the associated factors of COVID-19 knowledge among respondents. Results Of the 2,721 participants who completed the survey, the majority (99.3%) were aware of the existence of the COVID-19 outbreak, had good knowledge on infection prevention (87.0%) and rated their knowledge about COVID-19 as good (81.7%). Factors associated with COVID-19 knowledge were: age ≥56 years (aOR = 0.5; CI: 0.3–0.8; p = 0.002), tertiary education (aOR = 1.8; CI: 1.2–2.6; p = 0.003), residing in Greater Accra region (aOR = 2.0; CI: 1.1–3.6; p = 0.019), not infected with the novel coronavirus (aOR = 1.5; Cl: 1.0–2.1; p = 0.045), knowing an infected person (aOR = 3.5; CI = 1.5–7.9; p = 0.003), good practice of effective preventive measures (aOR = 1.2: Cl: 1.1–1.5: 0.008), not misinformed (aOR = 0.7; Cl: 0.5–0.9; 0.015), and perceiving spreading speed of the virus as slow (aOR = 0.7; Cl: 0.5–0.9; 0.007). Conclusion The study found good knowledge regarding COVID-19, control measures, and preventive strategies. The Ghana Health Service should continuously provide accurate information to educate the media and citizens to prevent misinformation, which is vital in stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Factors associated with Covid-19 vaccine acceptance among persons with disabilities: A cross-sectional study in Ghana

“…Factors such as age, type of disability, level of education and income were found to influence respondents’ knowledge of Covid-19. This finding is similar to a study in Ghana by Kwabla et al which also identified age and education as positive influencing factors on people’s knowledge of covid-19 [ 17 ]. The type of impairment was also found to influence the respondent’s level of knowledge.…”

“…of this study is similar to findings from studies with the general public [17][18][19], which reported a higher level of knowledge on Covid-19. Our study revealed an average 70.00% knowledge score among respondents.…”

“…Our current study found a higher knowledge of covid-19 among the respondents. Though studies in Ghana have assessed the general public knowledge of Covid-19 [ 17 – 19 ], this is the first study to report on the persons with disabilities’ knowledge of the pandemic. The finding of this study is similar to findings from studies with the general public [ 17 – 19 ], which reported a higher level of knowledge on Covid-19.…”

“…Our current study found a higher knowledge of covid-19 among the respondents. Though studies in Ghana have assessed the general public knowledge of Covid-19 [17][18][19], this is the first study to report on the persons with disabilities' knowledge of the pandemic. The finding Muslims were 62% less likely to accept the Covid-19 vaccine compared to their counterparts, the Christians in the crude analysis (COR = 0.38, 95CI%: 0.18, 0.82).…”

COVID-19 Vaccination Booster Dose: Knowledge, Practices, and Intention among Pregnant/Planning to Get Pregnant and Lactating Women

“…A systematic review reported that the education, income, and age were among the significant factors associated with poor knowledge regarding the pandemic of COVID-19 [ 33 ]. Another study found that Ghanaians’ knowledge about COVID-19 was significantly affected by their age and education [ 34 ]. Ethiopian healthcare professionals’ knowledge about COVID-19 was also affected by their age, education, and income [ 35 ].…”