COVID-19 health literacy, coping strategies and perception of COVID-19 containment measures among community members in a southwestern state in Nigeria

Introduction This study aimed to describe COVID-19 health literacy, coping strategies and perception of COVID-19 containment measures among community members in a Southwestern state in Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to enroll 691 respondents from households in Akure, Ondo state using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire between 1st and 9th October, 2020. Bivariate Chi-square tests were conducted on respondents' COVID-19 health literacy while multivariate logistic analysis was performed on significant variables. Statistical significance levels were set at p<0.05. Results Respondents' mean age was 29.93 +/- 10.66 years, 352 (50.9%) were males. Also, 292 (49.7%) had high levels of trust in the World Health Organization regarding COVID-19 information, and 31 (33.3%) in the first wealth quintile had good health literacy (chi(2) =10.459, p=0.033). Respondents below 20 years were twice more likely to have good COVID-19 health literacy (OR=2.304, 95%CI=1.316-4.034, p=0.004). Also, respondents aged 21-29 years were three times more likely to have good COVID-19 health literacy (OR=2.587, 95%CI=1.559-4.293, p <= 0.001). Conclusions Available media platforms should be actively engaged by the national government to ensure that community members especially the rich are equipped with good health literacy.