Practice and associated factors of Covid-19 prevention among health professionals in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

Health professionals (HPs) who work on the front lines are more likely to contract COVID-19.Healthmanners of HPs impact control and prevention activities employed in answer to the contagion crisis. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled level of practice and associated factors toward COVID-19 prevention among HPs in Ethiopia. PubMed, Scoups, Web of Science, Google Scholar (search engine), Google Advance, and Cochrane Library were searched from December 20, 2023 -January 30, 2024. Data was dugout using Microsoft Excel (version 10) and analysis was computed using STATA version 11. Funnel plot and quantitatively further through Egger's regression test, with P < 0.05 was used to check publication bias. I² statistics were used to check the heterogeneity of the studies. Pooled analysis was used using a weighted inverse variance random-effects model. A subgroup analysis was conducted based on publication year and region. Meta-regression and sensitivity analysis were used. Eighteen studies with 7,775 Health professionals were included in the review process. Among them, 57.03% (95% CI; 48.41, 65.65%) of HPs practice correctly. Although the risk factors reported were inconsistent between studies, access to infection prevention training (IP) (AOR = 1.79; 95% CI 1.54, 2.08), good knowledge (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI 1.38, 2.66), MSc degree and above (AOR = 3.53; 95% CI 2.64, 4.71), and positive attitude (AOR = 2.19; 95% CI 1.50, 3.19) were significant predictors of good practice. Nearly 43% of health professionals had poor practice. Good knowledge, positive attitude, level of education, and infection prevention training were the main determinants of good practice. The responsible authorities do emphases to halt barriers and improving the zero infection principles of health professionals during the pandemic.