Examining the Role of Social Determinants of Health and COVID-19 Risk in 28 African Countries

Autor: Imelda K. Moise, Lola R. Ortiz-Whittingham, Kazeem Owolabi, Hikabasa Halwindi, Bernard A. Miti
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: COVID, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 87-101 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2673-8112
DOI: 10.3390/covid4010009
Popis: While the impact of the pandemic has varied between and within countries, there are few published data on the relationship between social determinants of health (SDoH) and COVID-19 in Africa. This ecological cross-sectional study examines the relationship between COVID-19 risk and SDoH among 28 African countries. Included were countries with a recent demographic and health survey (years 2010 to 2018). The response variables were COVID-19 case rates and death rates (reported as of 15 August 2020); and the covariates comprised eight broad topics common to multiple SDoH frameworks aggregated to the country level: geography (urban residence), wealth index, education, employment, crowding, and access to information. A negative binomial regression was used to assess the association between aspects of SDoH and COVID-19 outcomes. Our analysis indicated that 1 in 4 (25.1%) households in study countries are without safe and clean water and a space for handwashing. The odds of COVID-19 morbidity and deaths were higher in countries with a high proportion of households without access to safe and clean water. Having a high proportional of educated women (1.003: 95% CI, 1.001–1.005) and living in a less crowded home (0.959: 95% CI, 0.920–1.000) were negatively associated with COVID-19 deaths, while being insured and owning a mobile phone predicted illness. Overall, aspects of SDoH contribute either negatively or positively to COVID-19 outcomes. Thus, addressing economic and environmental SDoH is critical for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and re-emerging diseases on the African continent.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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