National Institute of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Rwanda, Butare, Rwanda.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Sep 27;24(1):2637. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20053-3.
Lack of appropriate knowledge, incorrect beliefs and misinformation misleads people about the risks they face and how best to protect themselves. A study was conducted to explore the knowledge, beliefs and misinformation regarding COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.
A qualitative study was conducted in September-October 2022 with a purposive sample of religious leaders, women leaders, youth leaders, health workers, village health workers, teachers, traditional healers, transporters, and the general population selected from ten sites across the country. In total there were 128 participants (30 key informants and 98 focus group discussion participants). At each site, 3 key informant interviews and one homogenous focus group discussion were conducted using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion guides, respectively. The data were recorded on audiotapes, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Manual thematic analysis of the data was performed.
Three themes were identified in this study: (1) beliefs about COVID-19, (2) knowledge about COVID-19 (knowledge of origin, definition, transmission, signs and symptoms and recommended preventive measures), and (3) misinformation about COVID-19 (regarding its nature, existence and recommended preventive measures). There was awareness of the origin, transmission, signs and symptoms of COVID-19 among the participants. Participants reported that Zimbabwean communities were conversant with public health measures such as maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, and maintaining hand hygiene. However, misinformation was also observed to have circulated among the communities.
Participants demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19. However, the misinformation circulating in the country calls for the government to establish structures to monitor the legitimacy of information coming through different sources and invest in providing information through trusted sources. In any disease outbreak, the government should engage its citizenry to understand their knowledge, beliefs and any misinformation that might influence adherence to disease preventive measures.
缺乏适当的知识、不正确的信念和错误信息会误导人们了解他们所面临的风险以及如何最好地保护自己。本研究旨在探索津巴布韦民众对 COVID-19 的知识、信念和错误信息。
本研究于 2022 年 9 月至 10 月开展，采用目的抽样法从全国十个地点选取宗教领袖、妇女领袖、青年领袖、卫生工作者、乡村卫生工作者、教师、传统治疗师、运输工作者和普通民众作为研究对象。共有 128 名参与者（30 名关键知情者和 98 名焦点小组讨论参与者）。在每个地点，使用半结构式访谈和焦点小组讨论指南分别进行 3 次关键知情者访谈和 1 次同质性焦点小组讨论。数据被记录在录音带上，逐字转录，并翻译成英文。对数据进行手动主题分析。
本研究确定了三个主题：（1）对 COVID-19 的信念，（2）对 COVID-19 的认识（对起源、定义、传播、症状和推荐的预防措施的认识），和（3）对 COVID-19 的错误信息（关于其性质、存在和推荐的预防措施的错误信息）。参与者对 COVID-19 的起源、传播、症状有一定的认识。参与者报告说，津巴布韦社区对保持社交距离、戴口罩和保持手部卫生等公共卫生措施很熟悉。然而，社区中也流传着错误信息。
参与者对 COVID-19 有较好的认识。然而，该国流传的错误信息呼吁政府建立结构，监测不同来源信息的合法性，并投资通过可信来源提供信息。在任何疾病爆发期间，政府应让其民众了解他们的知识、信念和任何可能影响疾病预防措施遵守情况的错误信息。
