Health professionals practice and associated factors towards precautionary measures for COVID-19 pandemic in public health facilities of Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248272
• Publication Date: 2021-03-09T18:32:15Z
• Authors: Abera Mersha; Shitaye Shibiru; Meseret Girma; Gistane Ayele; Agegnehu Bante; Mekidim Kassa; Sintayehu Abebe; Misgun Shewangizaw
• Keywords: Male; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Social Sciences; Infectious disease (medical specialty); FOS: Health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Surveys and Questionnaires; Observational study; Cognitive psychology; Pathology; Psychology; Disease; Public health; Modeling the Dynamics of COVID-19 Pandemic; Q; Health Care Workers; R; Masks; Checklist; 3. Good health; FOS: Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Economics, Econometrics and Finance; Knowledge; Environmental health; Modeling and Simulation; Physical Sciences; Medicine; Female; Research Article; Adult; Economics and Econometrics; Science; Health Personnel; Nursing; 03 medical and health sciences; Impacts of COVID-19 on Global Economy and Markets; FOS: Mathematics; Humans; Pandemics; Personal Protective Equipment; Cross-sectional study; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Cross-Sectional Studies; Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health; Ethiopia; Health Facilities; Mathematics

IntroductionCoronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease, which caused by a novel coronavirus. The disease disrupts health systems and resulting in social, political, and economic crises. Health professionals are in front of this pandemic and always work in a high-risk environment. The best prevention for COVID-19 is avoiding exposure to the virus. Some studies reported health professional’s practice of precautionary measures for COVID-19. Nevertheless, a few have identified factors affecting. As such, this study aimed to fill those research gaps in the study setting.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 428 health professionals involved from the public health facilities of the Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia. A simple random sampling method employed, and the data collected by the interviewer-administered Open Data Kit survey tool and observational checklist. The data analyzed in Stata version 15, and a binary logistic regression model used to identify factors. In this study, a statistically significant association declared at P< 0.05.ResultsIn this study, 35.3% (95%CI: 30.7%, 39.8%) of health professionals’ had a good practice on precautionary measures for the COVID-19 pandemic. Use hand sanitizer or wash hands continuously with soap and water (68.9%), cover nose and mouth with a tissue during sneezing or coughing (67.3%), and use facemask in crowds (56.8%) were the most common practice reported by study participants. Marital status, being married (AOR = 1.84, 95%CI: 1.06, 3.18), good knowledge on the COVID-19 pandemic (AOR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.02, 3.18), and positive attitude towards precautionary measures for the COVID-19 were factors showed significant association with the practice.ConclusionsThe magnitude of good practice of precautionary measures for the COVID-19 pandemic among health professionals was low. As such, different interventions to improve the knowledge and attitude of health professionals in the health care system are highly needed to boost the practice and to advance service delivery.