Perceptions, risk and understandings of the COVID-19 pandemic in urban South Africa
S. Afr. j. psychiatry (Online)
;
27(0): 1-10, 2021. Tables
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1284400
ABSTRACT
Background:
How people perceive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and understand their risk can influence their health, behaviours and overall livelihood. The disease's novelty and severity have elicited a range of attitudes and perspectives countrywide, which consequently influence the public's adherence to public health prevention and treatment guidelines.Aim:
To investigate perceptions, experiences and knowledge on COVID-19 in a communitybased cohort study.Setting:
Adults living in Soweto in South Africa's Gauteng province during the first six weeks of the national lockdown regulations (i.e. Alert Level 5 lockdown from end of March to beginning of May 2020).Methods:
Participants completed a series of surveys and answered open-ended questions through telephonic interviews (n = 391). We queried their perceptions of the origins of COVID-19, understandings of the disease, personal and communal risks and its relations with the existing disease burden.Results:
Findings from our sample of 391 adults show that perceptions and knowledge of COVID-19 vary across several demographic characteristics. We report moderate levels of understanding about COVID-19, prevention methods and risk, as well as exposure to major physical, psychosocial and financial stressors. Depressive symptoms, perceived infection risk and concern about COVID-19 significantly predicted COVID-19 prevention knowledge.Conclusion:
Public health communication campaigns should focus on continuing to improve knowledge and reduce misinformation associated with the virus. Policymakers should consider the mental health- and non-health-related impact of the pandemic on their citizens in order to curb the pandemic in a manner that maximises well-being.
Full text:
Available
Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
Social Perception
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COVID-19
Type of study:
Etiology study
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Practice guideline
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Observational study
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Prognostic study
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Qualitative research
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Risk factors
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
S. Afr. j. psychiatry (Online)
Year:
2021
Type:
Article
Institution/Affiliation country:
Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America/US
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Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa/ZA
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Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa/ZA
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Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America/US
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Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa+ZA
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Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa+ZA
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Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa+ZA
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