ArticleBMJ open2020
Community knowledge, perceptions and practices around COVID-19 in Sierra Leone: a nationwide, cross-sectional survey.
Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Public and health professional epidemic risk perceptions in countries that are highly vulnerable to epidemics: a systematic review.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2022Pooled it
- Global epidemiology of COVID-19 knowledge, attitude and practice: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2021Pooled it
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the general population about Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a systematic review and meta-analysis with policy recommendations.Public health · 2021Pooled it
- Risk perceptions, knowledge and protection practices related to COVID-19 in Dessie City Administration, Northeast Ethiopia: a community-based study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Psychological distress and coping mechanisms due to the COVID-19 pandemic among the adult population in Bo Sierra Leone. A cross-sectional study.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
- Psychological and psychosocial determinants of COVID-related handwashing behaviours: A systematic review.Campbell systematic reviews · 2024Review
- Article
- A qualitative study examining the health system's response to COVID-19 in Sierra Leone.PloS one · 2024Article
- Controlling the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi: Results from a multi-round study.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Perceptions around COVID-19 among patients and community members in urban areas in Cameroon: A qualitative perspective.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Universal use of face mask for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in community settings in a South-western State of Nigeria: willingness and barriers.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2023Article
- Impact of health systems reform on COVID-19 control in Sierra Leone: a case study.Tropical medicine and health · 2023Article
- Observational
- Communication inequalities and health disparities among vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic - a scoping review of qualitative and quantitative evidence.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Evaluation of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Resulting Behavior Changes in Response to COVID-19 Among Students at the College of Applied Medical Sciences (CAMS), Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2023Article
- Article
- Exploring People's Perception of COVID-19 Risk: A Case Study of Greater Jakarta, Indonesia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Knowledge, risk-perception, and uptake of COVID-19 prevention measures in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.African health sciences · 2022Article
- Knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 among mothers of under-2 children and adult males: a cross-sectional study in Bangladesh.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Epidemiological Trends of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Sierra Leone From March 2020 to October 2021.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo assess the public's knowledge, attitudes and practices about the novel coronavirus in Sierra Leone to inform an evidence-based communication strategy around COVID-19.
designNationwide, cross-sectional Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey.
setting56 randomly selected communities in all 14 districts in Sierra Leone.
participants1253 adults aged 18 years and older of which 52% were men.
main outcome measuresWe calculated proportions of core indicators (awareness, knowledge, risk perception, practices). A composite variable for knowledge (based on seven variables) was created, and categorised into low (0-2 correct), medium (3-4) and high (5-7). Predictors of knowledge were analysed with multilevel ordinal regression models. Associations between information sources, knowledge and two practices (washing hands with soap and avoiding crowds) were analysed using multilevel logistic regression models.
resultsWe found that 75% of the respondents felt at moderate or great risk of contracting coronavirus. A majority (70%) of women did not know you can survive COVID-19, compared with 61% of men. 60% of men and 54% of women had already taken action to avoid infection with the coronavirus, mostly washing hands with soap and water (87%). Radio (73%) was the most used source for COVID-19 information, followed by social media (39%). Having a medium or high level of knowledge was associated with higher odds of washing hands with soap (medium knowledge: adjusted OR (AOR) 2.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 4.4; high knowledge: AOR 4.6, 95% CI 2.1 to 10.2) and avoiding crowds (medium knowledge: AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.6; high knowledge: AOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.3).
conclusionsThis study shows that in the context of COVID-19 in Sierra Leone, there is a strong association between knowledge and practices. Because the knowledge gap differs between genders, regions, educational levels and age, it is important that messages are specifically targeted to these core audiences.
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