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. 2022 Aug 26:67:1604918.
doi: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604918. eCollection 2022.

Are Kenyans Likely to Use COVID-19 Self-Testing Kits? Results From a Cross-Sectional Survey

Griffins Manguro  1 , Sonjelle Shilton  2 , Sharon Omenda  1 , Patrica Owira  1 , Deepshikha Batheja  3 , Abhik Banerji  3 , Sophie Vusha Chabeda  1 , Marleen Temmerman  1   4 , Walter Jako  1 , Joseph Ndungu  2 , Stanley Luchters  1   4 , Elena Ivanova Reipold  2 , Guillermo Z Martínez-Pérez  2
Affiliations

Are Kenyans Likely to Use COVID-19 Self-Testing Kits? Results From a Cross-Sectional Survey

Griffins Manguro et al. Int J Public Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: To understand the public's perceptions around rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen self-testing in Kenya, including the drivers of acceptability, willingness to pay, and adherence to hygiene and prevention recommendations following a positive self-test. Methods: A household-based, cross-sectional survey, using a 35-item questionnaire, was conducted in Mombasa and Taita-Taveta counties, Kenya, during August 2021. Individuals aged ≥18 years were enrolled using a stratified sampling approach. Results: There were 419 participants (mean age 35.7 years). A minority (10.5%) had ever tested for SARS-CoV-2. If SARS-CoV-2 self-testing were available, 39.9% and 41.5% would be likely and very likely, respectively, to use it. If unavailable free-of-charge, 63.01% would pay for it. Multivariate analyses suggested that people in rural areas (Coefficient 0.30, 95%CI: 0.11-0.48, p = 0.002), aged 36-55 (Coefficient 0.21, 95%CI: 0.03-0.40, p = 0.023), and employed full time (Coefficient 0.32, 95%CI: 0.06-0.58, p = 0.016) would have more odds to adhere to recommended hygiene and prevention actions. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 self-testing was considered acceptable. Availability of self-testing could expand access to COVID-19 testing in Kenya, particularly among rural communities who have limited access to testing, and among mildly symptomatic individuals.

Keywords: COVID-19; Kenya; SARS-CoV-2 testing; home diagnostics; self-testing; survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Significant associations detected in bivariate analyses of primary outcomes (P values in the forest plot, Odds ratio and 95% Confidence Intervals in right column) (Mombasa and Taita-Taveta, Kenya. 2021).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Significant associations detected in multivariate analyses of primary outcomes (P values in the forest plot, Odds ratio and/or Coefficients and 95% Confidence Intervals in right column) (Mombasa and Taita-Taveta, Kenya. 2021).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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