ABSTRACT
In Kenya, community health volunteers link the formal healthcare system to urban and rural communities and advocate for and deliver healthcare interventions to community members. Therefore, understanding their views towards COVID-19 vaccination is critical to the country's successful rollout of mass vaccination. The study aimed to determine vaccination intention and attitudes of community health volunteers and their potential effects on national COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Kenya. This cross-sectional study involved community health volunteers in four counties: Mombasa, Nairobi, Kajiado, and Trans-Nzoia, representing two urban and two rural counties, respectively. COVID-19 vaccination intention among community health volunteers was 81% (95% CI: 0.76–0.85). On individual binary logistic regression level, contextual influence: trust in vaccine manufacturers (adjOR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.06–4.59;p = 0.030);individual and group influences: trust in the MoH (adjOR = 2.12, 90% CI: 0.92–4.78;p = 0.073);belief in COVID-19 vaccine safety (adjOR = 3.20, 99% CI: 1.56–6.49;p = 0.002), and vaccine safety and issues: risk management by the government (adjOR = 2.46, 99% CI: 1.32–4.56;p = 0.005) and vaccine concerns (adjOR = 0.81, 90% CI: 0.64–1.01;p = 0.064), were significantly associated with vaccination intention. Overall, belief in COVID-19 vaccine safety (adjOR = 2.04, 90% CI: 0.92–4.47 p = 0.076) and risk management by the government (adjOR = 1.86, 90% CI: 0.94–3.65;p = 0.072) were significantly associated with vaccination intention. Overall vaccine hesitancy among community health volunteers in four counties in Kenya was 19% (95% CI: 0.15–0.24), ranging from 10.2−44.6% across the counties. These pockets of higher hesitancy are likely to negatively impact national vaccine rollout and future COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. The determinants of hesitancy arise from contextual, individual and group, and vaccine or vaccination specific concerns, and vary from county to county.
ABSTRACT
Public trust is key for compliance to government protocols in times of health mitigating COVID-19 measures and its vaccination initiative, and thus understanding factors related to community health volunteers (CHVs) trusting the government and conspiracy theories is vital during the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of universal health coverage in Kenya will benefit from the trust between the CHVs and the government through increased access and demand for health services. This cross-sectional study collected data between 25 May to 27 June 2021 and it involved CHVs sampled from four counties in Kenya. The sampling unit involved the database of all registered CHVs in the four counties, who had participated in the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy study in Kenya. Mombasa and Nairobi (represented cosmopolitan urban counties). Kajiado represented a pastoralist rural county, while Trans-Nzoia represented an agrarian rural county. Probit regression model was the main analytical method which was performed using R script language version 4.1.2. COVID-19 conspiracy theories weakened generalised trust in government (adjOR = 0.487, 99% CI: 0.336-0.703). Banking on COVID-19 related trust in vaccination initiatives (adjOR = 3.569, 99% CI: 1.657-8.160), use of police enforcement (adjOR = 1.723, 99% CI: 1.264-2.354) and perceived risk of COVID-19 (adjOR = 2.890,95% CI: 1.188-7.052) strengthened generalised trust in government. Targeted vaccination education and communication health promotion campaigns should fully involve CHVs. Strategies to counter COVID-19 conspiracy theories will promote adherence to COVID-19 mitigation measures and increase vaccine uptake.
ABSTRACT
In Kenya, community health volunteers link the formal healthcare system to urban and rural communities and advocate for and deliver healthcare interventions to community members. Therefore, understanding their views towards COVID-19 vaccination is critical to the country's successful rollout of mass vaccination. The study aimed to determine vaccination intention and attitudes of community health volunteers and their potential effects on national COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Kenya. This cross-sectional study involved community health volunteers in four counties: Mombasa, Nairobi, Kajiado, and Trans-Nzoia, representing two urban and two rural counties, respectively. COVID-19 vaccination intention among community health volunteers was 81% (95% CI: 0.76-0.85). On individual binary logistic regression level, contextual influence: trust in vaccine manufacturers (adjOR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.06-4.59; p = 0.030); individual and group influences: trust in the MoH (adjOR = 2.12, 90% CI: 0.92-4.78; p = 0.073); belief in COVID-19 vaccine safety (adjOR = 3.20, 99% CI: 1.56-6.49; p = 0.002), and vaccine safety and issues: risk management by the government (adjOR = 2.46, 99% CI: 1.32-4.56; p = 0.005) and vaccine concerns (adjOR = 0.81, 90% CI: 0.64-1.01; p = 0.064), were significantly associated with vaccination intention. Overall, belief in COVID-19 vaccine safety (adjOR = 2.04, 90% CI: 0.92-4.47 p = 0.076) and risk management by the government (adjOR = 1.86, 90% CI: 0.94-3.65; p = 0.072) were significantly associated with vaccination intention. Overall vaccine hesitancy among community health volunteers in four counties in Kenya was 19% (95% CI: 0.15-0.24), ranging from 10.2-44.6% across the counties. These pockets of higher hesitancy are likely to negatively impact national vaccine rollout and future COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. The determinants of hesitancy arise from contextual, individual and group, and vaccine or vaccination specific concerns, and vary from county to county.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 was first diagnosed in Kenya in March 2020 following which the government instituted control measures which could have affected people's sexual satisfaction and overall quality of life including restrictions in travels; ban on alcohol consumption and closure of bars; 9 pm to 5 am curfew; ban on political rallies, and closure of many workplaces with people being encouraged to work from home. AIM: The objective of this study was to determine how perceived and experienced sexual satisfaction changed with the advent of COVID-19 among heterosexual married individuals in Kenya. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional survey. Data was collected virtually using monkey survey from social groups. A total of 194 participants responded to the survey. OUTCOMES: The difference in overall sexual satisfaction as well as satisfaction with sex frequency; sex process; and time, place and ambience around sexual intercourse before and during COVID-19. RESULTS: Most of the participants (73.4%) reported that they were satisfied with their marital sex before COVID-19 but the proportion of those reporting satisfaction dropped to 58.4% when they were asked about their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among participants surveyed during the pandemic itself, therefore, 41.3% reported that they were currently sexually dissatisfied whereas just 26.6% reported that they were dissatisfied even prior to the pandemic. There was a significant difference in the overall distributions before and during COVID-19 (χ² = 38.86, P< .001). CLINICAL TRANSLATION: COVID-19 pandemic should be considered an etiology of sexual dissatisfaction and possibly sexual dysfunctions and COVID-19 control measures should incorporate ways of enhancing sexual well-being. CONCLUSION: There was perceived increase in dissatisfaction with sex which could be a pointer to the falling quality of life during COVID-19 pandemic especially among the most sexually active men aged 31-50 years living in places where COVID-19 control measures are being stringently implemented. Osur J, Ireri EM, Esho T. The Effect of COVID-19 and Its Control Measures on Sexual Satisfaction Among Married Couples in Kenya. Sex Med 2021;9:100354.