Pregnant women’s knowledge and practice of preventive measures against COVID‐19 in a low‐resource African setting

Abstract

the virus that causes it has spread to over 110 countries, including Nigeria. 1-3 Although the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women is not yet clear, there are concerns over its potential effect on maternal and perinatal outcomes due to unique immunological suppression during pregnancy. 4,5 The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a series of preventive measures to halt the spread of the disease and its associated mortality. 3 In Nigeria, these preventive measures have been adopted, along with media campaigns to disseminate information on the measures to the general public. However, the level of knowledge and practice of these preventive measures against the spread of the virus among pregnant women, who constitute a vulnerable group, is yet to be evaluated.Between February 1 and March 31, 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the knowledge and practice of preventive measures to protect against the virus causing COVID-19 among pregnant women attending prenatal care at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The study received ethical approval from the Research and Ethics Committee of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, and participants provided written informed consent. A pretested and validated self-administered questionnaire derived from the review of literature on WHO recommendations on preventive measures against COVID-19 was used to collect the data. 6 The variables assessed were age, parity, marital status, area of residence, occupation, participant's level of education, husband's level of education, and knowledge and practice of preventive measures. The measures assessed by the study questions were: (1) frequent hand washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers; (2) maintaining at least 1 m distance from others; (3) avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth with hands; (4) covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; (5) wearing a face mask in public; and (6) staying indoors.The questionnaire had a 12-item scale (six items for knowledge and six items for practice). The scoring system was 2 (for a correct answer) or 0 (for an incorrect answer). The minimum score was 0 whereas the maximum score was 12 for both the knowledge and practice components. Participants who scored 60% or more (score of 8-12) were classified as having adequate knowledge, whereas those who scored less than 60% (score up to 6) were classified as having inadequate knowledge. Women who scored 100% (score of 12) were classified as having good practice whereas those who scored less than 100% (score below 12) were classified as having poor practice.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for variables of interest. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Of 284 pregnant participants, 173 (60.9%) had adequate knowledge of preventive measures. However, overall practice of these measures among pa...

Perceived Risk and Protective Behaviors regarding COVID-19 among Iranian Pregnant Women

“…The level of knowledge of pregnant women who had more children was signi cantly higher, and although nonsigni cant, their risk perception was lower and their preventive behavior was better. Contrary to our study, in the study of Nwafor et al, pregnant African women who had given birth ve or more times had lower levels of awareness about preventive measures related to COVID-19 [24]. The greater awareness of pregnant women with a previous history of in uenza in the present study can be related to the increased sensitivity of this group of women to the risk of contracting viral diseases during pregnancy and its complications.…”

“…According to our study, women with a university education were signi cantly more aware of the disease than women with less education. In the recent study of Nwafor et al, one of the factors associated with inadequate knowledge of preventive measures regarding COVID-19 was no formal education [24]. The level of knowledge of pregnant women who had more children was signi cantly higher, and although nonsigni cant, their risk perception was lower and their preventive behavior was better.…”

“…It seems that the awareness of pregnant women, both through the mass media and by health care providers, has increased signi cantly. In a study by Nwafor et al, 60.9% of pregnant women had su cient knowledge of preventive measures against COVID-19 [24]. Yassa et al, in their study on pregnant women near childbirth, found that pregnant women have a positive attitude toward quarantine.…”

Perceived risk and protective behaviors regarding COVID-19 among Iranian pregnant women

“…It seems that the awareness of pregnant women, both through the mass media and by health care providers, has increased significantly. In a study by Nwafor et al, 60.9% of pregnant women had sufficient knowledge of preventive measures against COVID-19 [24]. Yassa et al, in their study on pregnant women near childbirth, found that pregnant women have a positive attitude toward quarantine.…”

Pregnant Women’s Health-related Behavior Changes and Psychological Status After the Peak of COVID-19 Outbreak in China: A Cross-sectional Study

“…Protective measures were adopted by most pregnant women in China [12], whereas practice of preventive measures was poor among pregnant women in Nigeria [13]. Population's mental health and behavior are both important in preventing infectious diseases [14]. Psychological distress of pregnant women can also affect their own health and the physiological, cognitive, and psychological development of their offspring [15].…”