Perceptions of COVID-19 and HIV Risk and Related Preventive Health Behaviors in Rural Zambia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Behavior Research
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Understanding risk perception is crucial for effective disease prevention strategies.
• Research on how risk perception relates to preventive behaviors across different diseases is limited.
• A holistic model of risk perception provides a framework for examining these relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare perceived risk levels for COVID-19 and HIV in a rural Zambian community.
• To examine factors associated with perceived risk for each disease.
• To evaluate the link between perceived risk, its correlates, and preventive behaviors for COVID-19 and HIV.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 118 adults in a rural Zambian community.
• Data collected included risk perception, preventive behaviors, knowledge, trust in information sources, disease experience, and prosociality.
• Statistical analyses were performed to compare perceived risk and its correlates for COVID-19 and HIV.

Main Results:

• Perceived risk for COVID-19 and HIV differed significantly, as did their associated factors.
• Neither disease's perceived risk was directly related to its specific preventive behaviors.
• Trusted information sources for HIV correlated with higher HIV risk perception; direct COVID-19 experience correlated with higher COVID-19 risk perception.
• Prosociality was linked to COVID-19 preventive behaviors, while knowledge was linked to preventive behaviors for both diseases.

Conclusions:

• Disease prevention strategies must consider the distinct risk perception and behavioral correlates for different diseases.
• Factors such as prior experience and cultural context likely influence these differences.
• Targeting interventions based on disease-specific factors, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, is essential for public health.