preprint · medRxiv
An online cross-sectional survey conducted between April and May 2020 investigated knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 among 400 residents in Tanzania. Most participants were female, with a mean age of 32 years, and over 60 percent held a bachelor degree or higher. Overall, 84.4 percent demonstrated good knowledge of the disease, which significantly correlated with higher educational attainment. Optimism was notably high, with 96 percent expressing confidence that COVID-19 would be eliminated, while 77 percent reported avoiding crowded places in recent days. However, regression analysis revealed that lower knowledge scores were significantly linked to being male, aged between 16 and 29 years, and having an education level of secondary school or lower. The results demonstrate generally positive preventive behaviour and attitudes, indicating that targeted community-based health education programmes remain vital for controlling disease transmission.
Public adherence to disease prevention measures depends heavily on community awareness and sentiment during health emergencies. Identifying specific demographics with lower knowledge levels, such as younger individuals and those with less formal education, allows public health authorities to tailor communication strategies effectively. This evidence supports the design of targeted community health education programmes to curb viral transmission during epidemics.
The abstract describes baseline public health survey research rather than a commercial product or service. However, the findings can inform public health agencies, non-governmental organisations, and digital health communication developers designing epidemic response programmes. While the research represents early-stage observational evidence rather than a market-ready tool, it provides demographic insights that can guide the parameters of digital health campaigns and educational interventions.
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ABSTRACT Background The Corona Virus Disease -19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health emergency that requires the adoption of unprecedented measures to control its rapid spread. Tanzanians’ adherence to control measures is affected by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards the disease. This study was carried out to investigate knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 among residents in Tanzania during the April – May 2020 period of the epidemic. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzes responses of self-selected Tanzanians who responded to an invitation to complete an online questionnaire. Survey Monkey tool was used to develop the questionnaire used for data collection. The survey assessed demographic characteristics of participants as well as their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward COVID-19. A Chi-square analysis was used to compare proportions. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine differences among age groups, whereas results were considered significant if the p-value was <0.05 Results Four hundred residents completed the survey. The mean age of study participants was 32 years, and the majority was female (n= 216,54.0%). There were no significant differences in demographic variables). Participants with a bachelor’s degree or above (n= 241, 60.3%) had higher scores. Overall, 84.4% (n=338) of participants had good knowledge, which was significantly associated with education level (p=0.001). Nearly all participants (n=384, 96.0%) had confidence that COVID-19 will be eliminated. The majority of respondents (n=308, 77.0%) did not go to a crowded place in recent days. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that males, age-group 16-29 years, and education of secondary or lower (OR = 1.2, CI = 1.3–1.5) were significantly associated with lower knowledge score. Conclusions Our findings revealed good knowledge, optimistic attitudes, and appropriate practices towards preventing COVID-19 infection. Suggesting that community-based health education programs about COVID-19 is helpful and necessary to control the disease.
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DOI: 10.1101/2020.04.26.20080820
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