COVID-19 public stigma in the context of government-based structural stigma: A cross-sectional online survey of adults in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

The state in Bangladesh has instituted a series of policies and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic that reflects structural stigma. Stigma is now considered a complex phenomenon rather than just one set of beliefs. Thus, the level and correlates of stigma toward individuals and households that have become positive with the Coronavirus are of critical interest and importance. This article describes the nature of the Bangladesh government's unusual labeling practices as a structural stigma and examines the stigma levels among Bangladeshi adults. A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,056 adult respondents. We used 10 Likert items (alpha = 0.630) to measure the level of stigmatized attitudes related to COVID-19. The data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation coefficients to identify the factors associated with the dependent variable at the bivariate level. The multiple linear regression model was also fitted. The findings of the study show that 90.8% of the respondents had at least one stigmatized attitude. The regression analysis result shows that marital status, educational attainment, place of residence, risk perception, and attitudes toward COVID-19 were the most significant factors of stigmatized attitudes among the population in Bangladesh. This study suggests that state-sponsored labeling of COVID-19 positive people should be stopped immediately, and the privacy and confidentiality of the COVID-19 positive people should be appropriately maintained. Health education programs should also be adopted for all age groups to decrease negative attitudes toward this disease by increasing their knowledge and awareness for preventing COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)