Perceived Self Efficacy in Implementing COVID-19 Preventive Measures Among Residents of Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 outbreak has now become a major international public health concern and a major challenge for the entire world. Poor adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures continues to be a challenge in managing COVID-19 pandemics, including in Ethiopia. As a result, the current study sought to identify the determinants of community adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures among the adult population of Harari Regional State in Eastern Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia from January 5 to 30, 2021. All adults above the age of 18 who lived in Harari Regional State's selected kebeles were eligible to participate in the study. A systematic random sampling method was used to select the study participants. The study included a total of 1,320 participants. Pre-tested, structured, and self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data, which was then analyzed using STATA version 16 software. The consent was obtained from each individual and concerned body. Binary logistic regression was used to find the correlation between community adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and sociodemographic, knowledge, self-efficacy, and risk perception. A P-value of 0.05 was used as the statistical significance cut-off point.ResultsOne thousand two hundred fifty-five (1,255) people took the survey, yielding a 95.1 % response rate. Adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures resulted in a mean cumulative score of 29.8. Six hundred eight (48.5%) of the participants had good adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures, whereas 647 (51.5%) did not. The researchers also discovered a statistically significant link between participants' residence, educational status, risk perception, income, and adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures.ConclusionAppropriate implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures among community members is required to manage or control pandemics and reduce health-related consequences associated with COVID-19 pandemics. The current study, on the other hand, discovered that nearly half of the study participants had poor adherence. As a result, in order to manage this pandemic, the relevant organizations, including the government and non-governmental organizations, must take appropriate and timely measures.

Covid-19 Prevention Practices and Associated Factors among Workers in Yirgalem Agro-Industry Park, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study

“…industrial park workers who had a positive attitude toward COVID-19. This finding was consistent with various studies conducted in Ethiopia, Egypt, China, and Saudi Arabia and all studies revealed that favorable attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive measures were significantly associated with good adherence to COVID-19 mitigation measures 20,[25][26][27]. The odds of practicing COVID-19 prevention strategies among Industrial park workers who were neutral to opposing mask-wearing were reduced by 78% compared to workers who disagree to oppose mask-wearing (AOR=0.22; 95% CI: 0.06-0.85).…”

Knowledge of COVID-19 prevention in Eastern Ethiopia

“…37,40 These findings align with a study conducted in Harari, which demonstrated that individuals residing in rural areas were more likely to adhere to COVID-19 prevention measures, including handwashing, staying at home, maintaining social distancing, and wearing a facemask. 41 These findings suggest that social distancing and reducing contact activities may be more feasible in rural areas, while participants from urban settings may encounter challenges in avoiding close contact with others.…”