Abstract:
A cross-sectional study was carried out from April 20 to 27, 2020 in Gondar town community, Northwest Ethiopia. Multistage cluster sampling technique was used to recruit 635 participants. Structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect the data. Descriptive
statistics, bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression were used to summarize the
results.
Results
A total of 623 participants were considered in the analysis with a response rate of 98.1%.
The prevalence of coronavirus high risk perceptions of the respondents was found to be
23.11% (95% CI; 19.80%–26.43%). Age above 45 years (AOR = 1.41, 95%CI; 1.19–2.66),
college and above educational level (AOR = 0.28, 95%CI; 0.21–0.98), and poor knowledge
towards COVID-19 virus (AOR = 1.57, 95%CI; 1.09–2.23) were significantly associated with
perceived high risk about COVID-19.
Conclusions
The prevalence of perceived high risk of COVID-19 was found to be low. Factors such as
age, educational status, and knowledge about COVID-19 virus were found to be independent predictors of perceived high risk towards COVID-19. Government and non-government
organizations should use formal and informal means of educating the community.
