Abstract:
BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is an emerging respiratory infection that is caused by a novel
corona-virus and was first noticed in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Ethiopia is now showing
a high commitment to prevent and slow down the COVID-19 pandemic. Applying case
detection, contact testing and quarantine, large scale screening in high-risk groups; like prisoners
are the actions being taken to control the spread of the disease.
OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19 prevention and
associated factors among prisoners in Halaba kulito town, southern Ethiopia, 2021.
METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Halaba kulito prison,
southern Ethiopia at May to June 2021. Using eligibility criteria; 214 prisoners were included
using census survey method in the study. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire
was used. After the completion of data collection, all the questionnaires were checked, entered
and cleaned using Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed by SPSS version 25. Bi-variate and
multivariable binary logistic regression were used to identify the predictors of knowledge,
attitude and practice towards COVID-19 prevention.
RESULTS: Good knowledge, positive attitude and good practice towards COVID-19 prevention
were reported as 91%, 71.4% and 54.8% respectively. Age above 25 years old [AOR=4.416,
95%CI (1.598-12.203), (P<0.004)] and source of information from media [AOR=4.673, 95%CI
(1.607-13.587), (P<0.005)] were significantly associated with knowledge towards COVID-19.
Formal educational level [AOR=2.21, 95%CI (1.01-4.83), (P<0.048)] and good knowledge
[AOR=5.41, 95%CI (1.90-15.38), (p<0.002)] were significantly associated with attitude towards
COVID-19. Good knowledge towards COVID-19 prevention [AOR=3.998, 95%CI (1.235-
12.940), (P<0.021)] and positive attitude of COVID-19 [AOR=3.064, 95%CI (1.607-5.843),
(P<0.001)] were significantly associated with practice towards COVID-19 prevention.
CONCLUSION: Levels of practice towards COVID-19 prevention were low relatively to the
knowledge and attitude in this study. Health department of the Zone and NGOs, which are
engaged in COVID-19 prevention health program in the area, should give special attention for
availing necessary protective materials, room condition for physical distancing and health
education to increase their level of practice towards COVID-19 prevention
