Publications

COVID-19, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), hasposed a global challenge since December 2019. This study aimed to explore riskperceptions, knowledge, and information sources among prenatal and postnatal women atJinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH) – a group particularly vulnerable to the pandemic'simpact. Using a cross-sectional approach, 209 women were surveyed, employing a thematicquestionnaire. Data analysis involved coding and input into Epi Info version 7, thenexported to SPSS version 22.0 for analysis. Descriptive statistics summarized variables:numerical data as means and standard deviations, and categorical data as frequencies andproportions. Chi-square tests assessed associations between variables, with inferentialstatistics exploring relationships among study variables. Statistical Package for the SocialSciences version 26.0 conducted all analyses, with significance set at α = 0.05. Prenatal andpostnatal women at JRRH perceived a lower risk of contracting or succumbing to COVID-19compared to influenza, yet many expressed concerns about potential COVID-19 infection.Overall, participants demonstrated adequate knowledge about the disease. Their primaryinformation sources were doctors, nurses/midwives, and television, which they regardedhighly. Notably, there was no significant relationship found between perceived risk ofcontracting COVID-19 and knowledge levels. These findings offer insights to healthcare*adequate knowledge, participants had misconceptions regarding some World HealthOrganization recommendations. Addressing these misunderstandings is crucial inimproving preventive practices among this vulnerable demographic.Keywords: coronavirus disease, risk perceptions, knowledge, women