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. 2022 Nov 10;22(1):2057.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14429-6.

Is self-reported depression, HIV status, COVID-19 health risk profile and SARS-CoV-2 exposure associated with difficulty in adhering to COVID-19 prevention measures among residents in West Africa?

Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan  1   2   3 , Roberto Ariel Abeldaño Zuniga  4   5 , Giuliana Florencia Abeldaño  4   6 , Mir Faeq Ali Quadri  4   7 , Mohammed Jafer  4   8   9 , Muhammad Abrar Yousaf  4   10 , Passent Ellakany  4   11 , Ntombifuthi Nzimande  4   12 , Eshrat Ara  4   13 , Nuraldeen Maher Al-Khanati  4   14 , Zumama Khalid  4   15 , Folake Lawal  4   16 , Mark Roque  4   17 , Joanne Lusher  4   18 , Bamidele O Popoola  4   19 , Abeedha Tu-Allah Khan  4   20 , Martin Amogre Ayanore  4   21 , Balgis Gaffar  4   22 , Jorma I Virtanen  4   23 , Nourhan M Aly  4   24 , Joseph Chukwudi Okeibunor  4   25 , Maha El Tantawi  4   24 , Annie Lu Nguyen  4   26
Affiliations

Is self-reported depression, HIV status, COVID-19 health risk profile and SARS-CoV-2 exposure associated with difficulty in adhering to COVID-19 prevention measures among residents in West Africa?

Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether self-reported depression, coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) health risk profile, HIV status, and SARS-CoV-2 exposure were associated with the use of COVID-19 prevention measures.

Methods: This survey collected data electronically between June 29 and December 31, 2020 from a convenient sample of 5050 adults 18 years and above living in 12 West African countries. The dependent variables were: social distancing, working remotely, difficulty obtaining face masks and difficulty washing hands often. The independent variables were self-reported depression, having a health risk for COVID-19 (high, moderate and little/no risk), living with HIV and COVID-19 status (SARS-CoV-2 positive tests, having COVID-19 symptoms but not getting tested, having a close friend who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and knowing someone who died from COVID-19). Four binary logistic regression models were developed to model the associations between the dependent and independent variables, adjusting for socio-demographic variables (age, gender, educational status, employment status and living status).

Results: There were 2412 (47.8%) male participants and the mean (standard deviation) age was 36.94 (11.47) years. Respondents who reported depression had higher odds of working remotely (AOR: 1.341), and having difficulty obtaining face masks (AOR: 1.923;) and washing hands often (AOR: 1.263). People living with HIV had significantly lower odds of having difficulty washing hands often (AOR: 0.483). Respondents with moderate health risk for COVID-19 had significantly higher odds of social distancing (AOR: 1.144) and those with high health risk had difficulty obtaining face masks (AOR: 1.910). Respondents who had a close friend who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (AOR: 1.132) and knew someone who died of COVID-19 (AOR: 1.094) had significantly higher odds of social distancing. Those who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had significantly lower odds of social distancing (AOR: 0.629) and working remotely (AOR: 0.713). Those who had symptoms of COVID-19 but did not get tested had significantly lower odds of social distancing (AOR: 0.783) but significantly higher odds of working remotely (AOR: 1.277).

Conclusions: The study signifies a disparity in the access to and use of COVID-19 preventative measures that is allied to the health and COVID-19 status of residents in West Africa. Present findings point to risk compensation behaviours in explaining this outcome.

Keywords: AIDS; COVID-19 preventive measures; HIV; Mental Wellness; Mental health; Risk compensation; SARS-CoV-2; West Africa.

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Conflict of interest statement

Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan and Maha El Tantawi are Sectional Editors with BMC Oral Health. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.

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