Scaling-up community self-reporting rate for COVID-19: Implication for assessing the perceived stigmatization of COVID-19 survivors among residents of Agege local government, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging public health problem with over forty-four million confirmed infections globally. Previous studies showed that stigma impedes response activities. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the perceived stigmatization of COVID-19 survivors among residents of Agege local government, Lagos State, Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 333 consenting residents recruited from Agege local government using a multi-stage sampling technique. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on perceived stigmatization. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using Chi-square and logistic regression respectively.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 35.7 ± 13.6 years. The proportion of respondents with poor knowledge was 50.5% and awareness for COVID-19 was 95.2%. Television and radio were the two major sources of awareness for COVID-19. A higher likelihood of perceived stigmatization was found among those aged 25 – 49 years (aOR= 3.1, 95% CI = 1.4 – 6.7), ≥ 50 years (aOR= 2.1, 95% CI = 1.1 – 3.9) and married respondents (aOR= 1.8, 95% CI = 1.1 – 2.9). To reduce the effect of stigmatization, we recommend a holistic response plan designed with basic facts about COVID-19 using programmes targeting married respondents as well as the adults.