AI Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and prevention practices regarding Ebola during the Sierra Leone outbreak from 2014 to 2015 through four cluster surveys.
- Results showed significant improvements in 14 out of 16 measured outcomes, such as increased willingness to accept Ebola survivors and decreased belief in spiritual healers’ ability to treat the virus.
- The findings suggest that targeted community engagement is crucial, especially in high-transmission areas, to enhance public understanding and practices during outbreaks.
Article Abstract
Objective: To evaluate changes in Ebola-related knowledge, attitudes and prevention practices during the Sierra Leone outbreak between 2014 and 2015.
Methods: Four cluster surveys were conducted: two before the outbreak peak (3499 participants) and two after (7104 participants). We assessed the effect of temporal and geographical factors on 16 knowledge, attitude and practice outcomes.
Findings: Fourteen of 16 knowledge, attitude and prevention practice outcomes improved across all regions from before to after the outbreak peak. The proportion of respondents willing to: (i) welcome Ebola survivors back into the community increased from 60.0% to 89.4% (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 6.0; 95% confidence interval, CI: 3.9-9.1); and (ii) wait for a burial team following a relative's death increased from 86.0% to 95.9% (aOR: 4.4; 95% CI: 3.2-6.0). The proportion avoiding unsafe traditional burials increased from 27.3% to 48.2% (aOR: 3.1; 95% CI: 2.4-4.2) and the proportion believing spiritual healers can treat Ebola decreased from 15.9% to 5.0% (aOR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.3). The likelihood respondents would wait for burial teams increased more in high-transmission (aOR: 6.2; 95% CI: 4.2-9.1) than low-transmission (aOR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.4-3.8) regions. Self-reported avoidance of physical contact with corpses increased in high but not low-transmission regions, aOR: 1.9 (95% CI: 1.4-2.5) and aOR: 0.8 (95% CI: 0.6-1.2), respectively.
Conclusion: Ebola knowledge, attitudes and prevention practices improved during the Sierra Leone outbreak, especially in high-transmission regions. Behaviourally-targeted community engagement should be prioritized early during outbreaks.
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|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7265950 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.19.245803 | DOI Listing |
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