Perception, Attitude and Practice of Personal Protective Measures by Nigerians during the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Online Cross-Sectional Study

Authors: Ugwu MC*, Shinkafi TS, Dandare SU, Abubakar IB, Muhammad A, Dodo MB, Kankia IH, Malami I, Mustapha M, Kazeem MI, Bello TK and BC Ugwu

Volume 4, Issue 3

Abstract

Objective: People’s compliance to control measures is dependent on their perception, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19. This survey evaluated the perception, attitude and practice of personal protective measures by Nigerians during the COVID-19. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using an internet-based urvey/questionnaire and mathematical modeling. A total of 731 Nigerians (male and female: age >14 years) were selected between April 15 and 26, 2020 to complete an online survey. Results: Majority (> 50 %) of the participants in all the geopolitical zones would always wash their hands with soap and/ use hand sanitizers. Many of the participants (>40%) across all the zones self-reported that they always wash their hands with soap and use hand sanitizer after a hand shake. More than 70 % of the participants had at least Bachelors degree. Majorities are civil servants and mostly obtain their COVID-19 information from WhatsApp (71.4%), Television (65.3%) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) (62.5%). Conclusion: The attitude and practice of personal protective measures self-reported by Nigerians is fair. Therefore, to flatten the curve, more uniform concerted efforts are still needed across the three tiers of government while underscoring the critical roles of non-governmental organizations, traditional and religious leaders in educating the general populace about personal hygiene and social distances.

Keywords: COVID-19 outbreak; Prevention; Protective Measures; Nigeria Epidemiology; Public Health

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