Adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and associated factors in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Reluctance to the COVID-19 preventive measures have been repeatedly reported in Ethiopia although compliance with these actions is the key step to minimize the pandemic's burden. Hence, this systematic review and meta-analysis aims to address the gap in the literature by determining the pooled magnitude of adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and identifying its associated factors in Ethiopia.

The electronic databases used to search articles were PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Research4Life and other sources of grey literature including Google Scholar and World Health Organization (WHO) database portals for low- and middle-income countries. Full English-language articles published between 2019 and 2022 were eligible for the review and meta-analysis. Relevant data extracted and descriptive summaries of the studies presented in tabular form. The methodological quality of articles assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality assessment tool. The pooled magnitude of adherence determined by applying a random-effects model at a 95% CI.

Of 1029 records identified, 15 articles were included in the systematic review and 11 were selected for meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures in Ethiopia was 41.15% (95% CI:32.16-50.14%). Furthermore, perceived COVID-19 disease severity (AOR:1.77, 95% CI: (1.40-2.25)), attitude (AOR:1.85, 95% CI: (1.36-2.53)) and knowledge (AOR:2.51, 95% CI: (1.67-3.78)) to COVID-19 preventive measures showed significant association with adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures.

The magnitude of adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures in Ethiopia appeared to be low. Therefore, the government of Ethiopia and other stakeholders should mobilize resources to improve the adherence level of the community to the COVID-19 preventive measures and decrease public fatigue.