ABSTRACT
The effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are not only limited to health, they also impinge on the social life and economy of communities around the globe. Challenges faced by developing countries such as Bangladesh were multi-factorial and its rural population was highly vulnerable in this situation due to their cultural and sociodemographic context. Preventive behavioral changes were considered the best way to fight against the virus in absence of specific treatment and vaccines. This study has tried to explain preventive health practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and aimed to explore the causal relationships of its major determinants through structural equation modeling (SEM) based on reasoned action approach (RAA). This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 among 810 rural Bangladeshi respondents aged 18-55 years. Around half of the respondents showed poor knowledge, motivation and practice regarding COVID-19 and its prevention. Along with socio-demographic factors, information, attitude, motivation, and intention of the people were found to be associated with the adoption of preventive health practices. The causal model of the COVID-19 prevention behaviors was assessed and justified through SEM. The model fits well with the empirical data (GFI=0.94, CFI=0.97, NFI=0.97, RMSEA=0.05, SRMR=0.04). Intention significantly influenced COVID-19 prevention behavior directly, showing the highest effect (β=0.89, p<0.001). Attitude (β=0.83, p<0.001) and motivation (β=0.15, p<0.001) also showed significant direct effects on intention. All the predictors together explained 79.6% of the variance for COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, proper motivation, and positive intention can encourage rural adults to adopt healthy behaviors against COVID-19. The theoretical model of the study effectively explained COVID-19 preventive behaviors rationally and provided a roadmap for policy-makers to formulate strategies to combat COVID-19 and any future similar pandemic. © 2023, Mahidol University - ASEAN Institute for Health Development. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The relevance of the study included that scarcity of evidence about the burdens of diseases in Ethiopia, in particular to non-communicable diseases along with the impact of COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The systematic analysis and content analysis using GBD 2019 database and health metrics datasets of 2020 was used to analyze diseases burdens trends of Ethiopia. The descriptive retrospective analysis has been performed, and reported in text and charts method. RESULTS: The result of the study showed increment of crude death and premature death due to both communicable and non-communicable diseases such as enteric infections, cardiovascular, neoplasm, others. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 would be the headache of Ethiopia health systems due to double burdens of diseases have steadily been shooting at ground. Hence, the nation should incite local based innovation work proactively and integrate all health services to fight with COVID-19 based on the experience of Russia.