Knowledge and Practice Regarding Coronavirus Disease Prevention (COVID-19) Among Internally Displaced Persons in Camps in Central Darfur Region, Sudan

Abstract

Background: The lacking healthcare system services in conflict areas and the emergence of infection with a pandemic of coronavirus disease may exacerbate the humanitarian crisis among the camp residents in the central Dafur region of Sudan. Adequate knowledge and practices are vital to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the knowledge and practice regarding COVID-19 among internally displaced persons in Sudan.
 Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected through an online survey using a self-administered questionnaire. Convenience sampling method was used for the internally displaced persons in two camps of Zalingei town, central Darfur region, Sudan.
 Results: In total, 143 participants responded; 75 (52.4%) of them were female, while 68 (47.6%) were male; 49 (34.3%) were between the age of 50 and 60 years; 78 (54.5%) were formally uneducated; 126 (88.1%) did not have a chronic disease; and 56 (39.2%) knew about COVID-19 from their relatives and friends. The overall mean of participants’ knowledge toward COVID-19 was 3.68 (SD ± 0.60(, denoting good with a rate of 73.6% and that of the practice was 2.65 (SD ±1.08), denoting moderate with a rate of 53%. A positive correlation was seen between knowledge and practice (r = 0.700, p < 0.000). Statistically significant differences were observed between the mean score of knowledge and practice with age, education, and information sources (p < 0.0001). While graduates showed a higher knowledge (116.29, p = 0.000), secondary respondents showed a higher practice (115.04, p = 0.000) than others.
 Conclusion: This study suggests educational intervention and awareness programs for uneducated and older people.

Knowledge, risk perception and uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among internally displaced persons in complex humanitarian emergency setting, Northeast Nigeria

“…We found considerable COVID-19-related knowledge gaps among the IDPs in our study; only 32% of them possessed adequate COVID-19 knowledge. Compared to studies conducted in a similar context, this figure is higher than the 15% reported in DRC [16], but lower than the 74% obtained in Sudan [57]. The low level of COVID-19 knowledge in the current study could be explained by at least three factors.…”

“…Generally, there is a paucity of research in the published literature on COVID-19 knowledge and risk perception among IDPs in humanitarian context. Few studies conducted in DRC, Somalia, and Sudan to assess COVID-19 knowledge among IDPs reported widely contrasting findings [16][17][18]. In Nigeria, there is hardly any published study that assessed COVID-19-related knowledge among IDPs in complex emergency situation.…”