Cross-sectional study of COVID-19 knowledge, beliefs and prevention behaviours among adults in Senegal

Objectives The aim of the study was to explore COVID-19 beliefs and prevention behaviours in a francophone West African nation, Senegal. Design This was a cross-sectional analysis of survey data collected via a multimodal observational study. Participants Senegalese adults aged 18 years or older (n=1452). Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcome measures were COVID-19 prevention behaviours. Secondary outcome measures included COVID-19 knowledge and beliefs. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistics were generated to describe the sample and explore potential correlations. Setting Participants from Senegal were recruited online and telephonically between June and August 2020. Results Mask wearing, hand washing and use of hand sanitiser were most frequently reported. Social distancing and staying at home were also reported although to a lower degree. Knowledge and perceived risk of COVID-19 were very high in general, but risk was a stronger and more influential predictor of COVID-19 prevention behaviours. Men, compared with women, had lower odds (adjusted OR (aOR)=0.59, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.75, p<0.001) of reporting prevention behaviours. Rural residents (vs urban; aOR=1.49, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.98, p=0.001) and participants with at least a high school education (vs less than high school education; aOR=1.33, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.76, p=0.006) were more likely to report COVID-19 prevention behaviours. Conclusions In Senegal, we observed high compliance with recommended COVID-19 prevention behaviours among our sample of respondents, in particular for masking and personal hygiene practice. We also identified a range of psychosocial and demographic predictors for COVID-19 prevention behaviours such as knowledge and perceived risk. Stakeholders and decision makers in Senegal and across Africa can use place-based evidence like ours to address COVID-19 risk factors and intervene effectively with policies and programming. Use of both phone and online surveys enhances representation and study generalisability and should be considered in future research with hard-to-reach populations.