Evaluating the Effectiveness of Risk Communication Process and Health Communication Materials Prepared for CholeraOoutbreak in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Date
2020-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Background: Since 1970, different parts of Ethiopia have been recurrently affected with cholera
outbreaks. During such public health emergencies, timely and correct information can support
people at risk to take appropriate protective actions, prevent disease and injury, decrease
unnecessary care-seeking, and facilitate relief and recovery attempts. As risk communication
activities are complex and costly usually, evaluation assessment are the best approach to advance
risk communication interventions and to enhance the feature of health communication materials.
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of risk communication process and
health communication materials done for cholera outbreak at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: the study is conducted at Addis ketema sub-city, Addis Ababa Ethiopia. The study used
community-based cross-sectional design using mixed method. A total of 605 adults were selected
using systematic random sampling for quantitative data and 7 purposely selected adults for Indepth
interview
and
3
key
informants
were
interviewed
for
qualitative
data.
Data
were
collected
using
a pre-tested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, semi-structured interview
guides and checklist. Five printed communication materials and three cholera spots were selected
randomly from the available materials for evaluation. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS
version 25. A multiple linear regression analysis was done to identify predictors for knowledge for
cholera and P-value < 0.05 was used to declare the statistical significance. Qualitative data were
entered into open code version 4.02 for analysis and then analyzed using thematic analysis.
Result: The response rate of this study was 96.1%. Respondents exposed for cholera related
messages and outbreak information were 71.8% and 52.7% respectively. Respondents have
moderate knowledge for cholera with (M=14.72 and SD ±4.02) with (0-34) scale range. Sociodemographic
variables,
sources
of
health
information,
exposure
for
cholera
messages
&
outbreak
information
variables
explained
the
variance
in
knowledge
about
cholera
by
44.5%.
Both
TV
&
radio
cholera
spots
were
found
as
simple
and
easy
to
understand
and
printed
health
communication
materials
score low quality. Poor documentation, lack of data management system and less
attention given for risk communication activities were seen as a gap in the risk communication
process done for cholera outbreak (2019) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Conclusion: as this study revealed that risk communication messages has effect in increasing
individuals’ knowledge on disease and its prevention. Even though the cholera spots were found
to be simple and easy to understand the quality of printed materials were low and less attention
given for the risk-communication activities affect the effectiveness of the risk-communication
process. Therefore, strengthening risk communication and materials development process is very
important to bring desired effects in disease prevention strategies and for effective emergency
responses in the future.
Description
Keywords
Communication process , health communication materials,cholera outbreak