Bonfim Joenilton Oliveira, da Silveira Carlos Darwin Gomes, Braga Barbara Vidigal, Borges Tacio Nobrega, Amorim Fábio Ferreira, Costa Ana Maria
Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Higher Education School of Health Sciences (ESCS), Brasília, Brazil.
Medical School, Higher Education School of Health Sciences (ESCS), Brasília, Brazil.
Int J Health Plann Manage. 2025 Mar;40(2):405-415. doi: 10.1002/hpm.3888. Epub 2024 Dec 17.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significance of comprehending social vulnerability as a pivotal element in public health. This study investigated the perceptions and practices of a Brazilian Afro-derived community (quilombo), descendants of enslaved Africans, regarding COVID-19.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in July 2021 by administering a survey to an adult representative from each household in a Brazilian quilombola community.
Among the 188 interviewed individuals, 45.2% reported that they did not feel adequately informed by healthcare professionals. The study found high adherence to preventive measures (wearing masks, using alcohol-based gel sanitiser, leaving home only when necessary and COVID-19 vaccination). Only 6.9% reported a household member contracting COVID-19, with only one case requiring hospitalisation and no deaths. Higher education was associated with an increased diagnosis of COVID-19 in their household (OR: 37.058, 95% CI: 4.053-338.837, p = 0.001), while feeling well or very well informed by television/radio was associated with a reduced diagnosis (OR: 0.223, 95% CI: 0.057-0.878, p = 0.032). Being married was associated with increased adherence to all prevention measures (OR: 4.598, 95% CI: 1.481-14.27, p = 0.008), whereas internet use as a source of information was independently associated with a reduced chance of adherence (OR: 0.240; 95% CI: 0.080-0.722, p = 0.011).
Despite many individuals reporting a lack of information from healthcare professionals about the pandemic, substantial adherence to protective measures was observed. Our findings highlight the critical importance of preventive measures during the pandemic, especially for vulnerable populations with limited access to healthcare services, and underscore the need for effective communication strategies to combat misinformation, particularly on social media platforms.
新冠疫情凸显了理解社会脆弱性作为公共卫生关键要素的重要性。本研究调查了巴西一个非洲裔社区（逃亡黑奴定居点），即非洲奴隶后裔对新冠疫情的认知与行为。
本横断面研究于2021年7月开展，对巴西一个逃亡黑奴社区每户的一名成年代表进行了问卷调查。
在188名受访个体中，45.2%的人表示他们觉得医疗保健专业人员提供的信息不足。研究发现对预防措施（戴口罩、使用酒精类凝胶消毒剂、仅在必要时出门以及接种新冠疫苗）的依从性较高。只有6.9%的人报告有家庭成员感染新冠，只有1例需要住院治疗，且无死亡病例。高等教育与家庭中新冠确诊病例增加相关（比值比：37.058，95%置信区间：4.053 - 338.837，p = 0.001），而通过电视/广播感觉信息充足或非常充足与确诊病例减少相关（比值比：0.223，95%置信区间：0.057 - 0.878，p = 0.032）。已婚与对所有预防措施的依从性增加相关（比值比：4.598，95%置信区间：1.481 - 14.27，p = 0.008），而将互联网作为信息来源与依从性降低独立相关（比值比：0.240；95%置信区间：0.080 - 0.722，p = 0.011）。
尽管许多人报告称医疗保健专业人员提供的有关疫情的信息不足，但仍观察到对防护措施的大量依从。我们的研究结果凸显了疫情期间预防措施的至关重要性，特别是对于获得医疗服务机会有限的弱势群体，并强调需要有效的沟通策略来对抗错误信息，尤其是在社交媒体平台上。
