Ebola virus disease in the eyes of a rural, agrarian community in Western Nigeria: a mixed method study.
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Date
2020
Authors
Idowu, A.B
Okafor, I.P
Oridota, E.S
Okwor, T.J
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC Public Health
Abstract
Background: Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe hemorrhagic disease caused by Ebola virus. Several outbreaks
have been reported in Africa and often originated from remote agrarian communities where there are enormous
misconceptions of the disease, refusal of early isolation and quarantine, and unsafe burial rites practices which
aggravates the epidemics. It is on this basis that this study was conducted to (assess) the knowledge, perceptions,
beliefs and preventive practices against EVD in a predominantly agrarian rural community in Southwest Nigeria.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Igbogila town, Yewa North Local Government Area of
Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria in the latter part of 2014 during the EVD outbreak. Mixed methods were used for
data collection. Quantitative data collection was done using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire.
Four hundred and seven respondents selected by multi-stage sampling technique were interviewed. Descriptive
and inferential statistics were done, and the level of significance was set at 0.05. Qualitative data collection involved
four focus group discussions a year after the epidemic was declared over in the country. The discussions were
recorded, transcribed and analyzed along major themes.
Results: All respondents were aware of EVD with radio and television being the major sources of information.
Knowledge of the disease was however very poor with many misconceptions and it was significantly influenced by
educational level of respondent. EVD survivors will be welcomed back into the community by few residents (36.8%)
and a much fewer proportion (27.2%) will freely entertain a survivor in their house. Most would prefer local
herbalists over orthodox medical practitioners to care for their loved one in case they contract EVD. Although
respondents knew that burying a victim is dangerous, they opposed cremation.
Conclusion: There was poor knowledge of EVD with a lot of misconceptions. Community members were not proactive about prevention with dire consequences in the event of an outbreak. Continuous public education should
be done via mass media, traditional institutions and other community-based channels as part of emergency
preparedness.
Description
Scholarly articles
Keywords
Ebola , Infectious disease , Epidemic , Knowledge , Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences
Citation
Abiodun Benjamin Idowu, Ifeoma Peace Okafor , Ezekiel Sofela Oridota and Tochi Joy Okwor (2020). Ebola virus disease in the eyes of a rural, agrarian community in Western Nigeria: a mixed method study. Idowu et al. BMC Public Health 20:1321https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09441-7.