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Knowledge and Risk Perception of The Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Adult Nigerians: A Cross-Sectional Study | medRxiv

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Knowledge and Risk Perception of The Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Adult Nigerians: A Cross-Sectional Study

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https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.23.20180141v3

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medRxiv

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COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS - CoV - 2) is a highly infectious disease declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The Knowledge and risk perception in the adult population may influence adherence to safety guidelines. Objective To assess the knowledge, preventive measures and risk perception of adult Nigerians regarding COVID-19. Methods We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in which five hundred and ten (510) adult participants consented and filled the questionnaire. The questionnaire is divided in to four sections: 1) socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, 2) assessment of knowledge, 3) risk perception and the 4) preventive measures. Results Of the 510 respondents, 95.9% claimed knowledge of COVID-19, through the traditional media (55.3%), and social media (41%), while only 3.7% got informed through health officials. Level of education ( P =0.0001), income status ( P <0.00001) and being a healthcare worker ( P =0.002) were significantly associated with a good knowledge of COVID-19. Overall Risk perception was high (median score of 4 out of 5). Risk perception was significantly high among the female participants ( P =0.04), young adult ( P =0.039) and healthcare providers ( P =0.001), while knowledge of preventive measures like avoiding to eat outside the home ( P =0.001), traveling to high risk areas ( P =0.017), wearing face mask ( P =0.01) and eating balanced diet ( P =0.014) were significant across gender. Conclusion Most participants demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19 and its preventive measures, while risk perception was higher among healthcare workers. Findings from this survey could guide information campaigns by public health authorities, clinicians, and the media. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gombe State University. The Participants anonymity and confidentiality were ensured. A Participant information sheet was served and an informed consent was obtained before the participant answered the questionnaire. All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes Data will be made available on request.

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article

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Knowledge and Risk Perception of The Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Adult Nigerians: A Cross-Sectional Study

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COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS - CoV - 2) is a highly infectious disease declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The Knowledge and risk perception in the adult population may influence adherence to safety guidelines. Objective To assess the knowledge, preventive measures and risk perception of adult Nigerians regarding COVID-19. Methods We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in which five hundred and ten (510) adult participants consented and filled the questionnaire. The questionnaire is divided in to four sections: 1) socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, 2) assessment of knowledge, 3) risk perception and the 4) preventive measures. Results Of the 510 respondents, 95.9% claimed knowledge of COVID-19, through the traditional media (55.3%), and social media (41%), while only 3.7% got informed through health officials. Level of education ( P =0.0001), income status ( P <0.00001) and being a healthcare worker ( P =0.002) were significantly associated with a good knowledge of COVID-19. Overall Risk perception was high (median score of 4 out of 5). Risk perception was significantly high among the female participants ( P =0.04), young adult ( P =0.039) and healthcare providers ( P =0.001), while knowledge of preventive measures like avoiding to eat outside the home ( P =0.001), traveling to high risk areas ( P =0.017), wearing face mask ( P =0.01) and eating balanced diet ( P =0.014) were significant across gender. Conclusion Most participants demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19 and its preventive measures, while risk perception was higher among healthcare workers. Findings from this survey could guide information campaigns by public health authorities, clinicians, and the media. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gombe State University. The Participants anonymity and confidentiality were ensured. A Participant information sheet was served and an informed consent was obtained before the participant answered the questionnaire. All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes Data will be made available on request.

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