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A comparative analysis of experienced uncertainties in relation to risk communication during COVID19: a four-country study.
Cristea, Florin; Weishaar, Heide; Geurts, Brogan; Delamou, Alexandre; Tan, Melisa Mei Jin; Legido-Quigley, Helena; Aminu, Kafayat; Mari-Sáez, Almudena; Rocha, Carlos; Camara, Bienvenu; Barry, Lansana; Thea, Paul; Boucsein, Johannes; Bahr, Thurid; Al-Awlaqi, Sameh; Pozo-Martin, Francisco; Boklage, Evgeniya; Jegede, Ayodele Samuel; Bcheraoui, Charbel El.
  • Cristea F; Evidence-Based Public Health Unit, Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Weishaar H; Evidence-Based Public Health Unit, Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Geurts B; Evidence-Based Public Health Unit, Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Delamou A; African Center of Excellence for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases & Centre de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah, PoBox 1017, Dixinn, Conakry, Guinea.
  • Tan MMJ; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore.
  • Legido-Quigley H; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore.
  • Aminu K; Department of Sociology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ibadan, 1, Oyo Road, Agbowo, Ibadan, Nigeria.
  • Mari-Sáez A; Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Rocha C; Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Camara B; Centre de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah, Département de Recherche, Unité de Socio-Anthropologie, Conakry, Guinea.
  • Barry L; African Center of Excellence for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases, PoBox 1017, Dixinn, Conakry, Guinea.
  • Thea P; African Center of Excellence for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases, PoBox 1017, Dixinn, Conakry, Guinea.
  • Boucsein J; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Bahr T; Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
  • Al-Awlaqi S; European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Pozo-Martin F; Evidence-Based Public Health Unit, Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Boklage E; Evidence-Based Public Health Unit, Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Jegede AS; Evidence-Based Public Health Unit, Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
  • Bcheraoui CE; Health Information Centre for International Health Protection unit, Centre for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Global Health ; 18(1): 66, 2022 06 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1910336
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

During outbreaks, uncertainties experienced by affected communities can influence their compliance to government guidance on public health. Communicators and authorities are, hence, encouraged to acknowledge and address such uncertainties. However, in the midst of public health crises, it can become difficult to define and identify uncertainties that are most relevant to address. We analyzed data on COVID-19-related uncertainties from four socio-economic contexts to explore how uncertainties can influence people's perception of, and response to Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) strategies.

RESULTS:

This qualitative study, which adopts an interpretative approach, is based on data from a documentary review, key informant interviews (KII), and focus group discussions (FGD) with members of the general public and people with barriers to information from Germany, Guinea, Nigeria, and Singapore. Transcripts from the KII and FGD were coded and analyzed thematically. We interviewed a total of 155 KIs and conducted 73 FGD. Our analysis uncovered a divergence between uncertainties deemed relevant by stakeholders involved in policy making and uncertainties that people reportedly had to navigate in their everyday lives and which they considered relevant during the pandemic. We identified four types of uncertainties that seemed to have influenced people's assessment of the disease risk and their trust in the pandemic control strategies including RCCE efforts epidemiological uncertainties (related to the nature and severity of the virus), information uncertainties (related to access to reliable information), social uncertainties (related to social behavior in times of heightened risk), and economic uncertainties (related to financial insecurities).

CONCLUSION:

We suggest that in future outbreaks, communicators and policy makers could improve the way in which affected communities assess their risk, and increase the trust of these communities in response efforts by addressing non-epidemiological uncertainties in RCCE strategies.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Global Health Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S12992-022-00857-x

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Global Health Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S12992-022-00857-x