ABSTRACT
Background Studies conducted on the practice of COVID-19 preventive methods across the world are highly inconsistent and inconclusive. Hence, this study intended to estimate the pooled preventive practice and its determinants among the general population. Methods This study was conducted using online databases (PubMed, HINARI, Scopus, EMBASE, Science Direct, and Cochrane library database), African Journals online, Google Scholar, open gray and online repository accessed studies. The quality of the included studies was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). STATA 14.0 software for analysis. The existence of heterogeneity between studies was checked using Cochran Q test and I2 test statistics and then, the presence of publication bias was detected using both funnel plot and Egger's test. Results 51 studies were included and the pooled level of practice toward the preventive measures of COVID-19 was 74.4% (95% CI: 70.2–78.6%, I2 = 99.7%, P < 0.001] using a random effects model. Being female [OR = 1.97: 95% CI 1.75, 2.23;I2 = 0.0%, P < 0.698], rural residence [OR = 0.53: 95% CI 0.44, 0.65;I2 = 73.5%, P < 0.013], attending higher education level [OR = 1.47: 95% CI 1.18, 1.83;I2 = 75.4%, P < 0.001], being employed [OR = 2.12: 95% CI 1.44, 3.12;I2 = 91.8%, P < 0.001], age < 30 [OR = 0.73: 95% CI 0.60, 0.89;I2 = 73.9%, P < 0.001], and knowledgeable [OR = 1.22: 95% CI 1.09, 1.36;I2 = 47.3%, P < 0.077] were the independent predictors of adequate practice level. Conclusions nearly three-fourths of the general population has an adequate preventive practice level toward COVID-19. Thus, the global, regional, national, and local governments need to establish policies and strategies to address the identified factors.
ABSTRACT
Ethiopia has taken unprecedented preventive measures, such as confinement to home and closure of schools and offices to halt the spread of Corona virus pandemic in the country. Unfortunately, such orders may have been associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) against women but there is no study conducted to assess the magnitude of IPV during the lock-downs in the country. Thus, this study intended to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of IPV against women during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on sample of 617 married or cohabited women. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to identify and enroll women who are married. A logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of IPV among women and all statistical analyses were carried out using STATA 14.2. In this study, amongst the 589 married women who were included in the analysis, 22.4% [95% CI: 19.1%, 25.9%] were experienced at least one form of IPV. Additionally, 11.0%, 20.0%, and 13.8% of women also experienced physical, psychological, and sexual IPVs respectively. After adjusting for covariate; being illiterate [AOR=2.37: 95% CI 1.29, 4.35], having illiterate husband [AOR=2.67: 95% CI 1.36, 5.21], having substance user husband (alcohol, chat or cigarettes) [AOR=2.75: 95% CI 1.42, 5.34], and community tolerant attitude to violence [AOR=2.97: 95% CI 1.17, 7.61] were the independent predictors of IPV amongst married women. In conclusion, the prevalence of IPV among married women was comparable to the national pre-COVID figure of IPV. Therefore, national and regional governments should work toward enhancing gender equality, coupled with addressing risk factors at multiple levels, using community- and institution-based approaches to prevent IPV and to specifically achieve SDG5 of eliminating violence against women by 2030.