Preventive Practice and Associated Factors Toward Coronavirus Disease 19 in Adigrat Town, Northern Ethiopia: Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE: The global coronavirus disease 19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis, unlike any since the end of the Second World War. Yet no successful vaccine or treatment has been reported. Even though increasing the practice of the community is critical to prevent coronavirus disease 19 pandemic, there is limited study in Ethiopia particularly in the study area. Therefore, the study aimed to assess practice and associated factors toward coronavirus disease 19. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and associated factors with practice toward coronavirus disease 19 prevention in Adigrat residents, Northern Ethiopia, 2020. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was carried out among 421 Adigrat Town residents from September 10 to 20, 2020. Households were selected using systematic sampling technique. To identify determinant factors, binary logistic regression analyses were employed with confidence interval of 95%. To identify statistically significant factors, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was used. Statisticalsignificance was determined at P-value <0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of poor practice was 32.2% (95% CI (31.5–38.5%)). Age of 20–29 (AOR=2.1, 95% CI (1.9–6.5)), occupational status of unemployed (AOR=1.5, CI 95% (1.4–1.9)), marital status of unmarried (AOR=1.9, 95% CI (1.2–12.5)), and educational status of cannot read and write (AOR=2.1, 95% CI (2.0–9.3)) were statistically significant factors toward COVID-19 prevention. CONCLUSION: The poor practice toward coronavirus disease 19 prevention was significantly high. Age, occupation, marital status, and educational status were significantly associated with the preventive practice toward the coronavirus disease 19. It would be helpful if the health professionals or other volunteers inform the community continuously by giving health educations regarding the preventive ways to increase the practice.