Pandemia de COVID-19 em uma comunidade quilombola no Brasil: percepções e práticas na prevenção e controle

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of understanding social vulnerability as a critical factor in public health. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and practices of a Brazilian quilombola community, descendants of enslaved Africans, towards COVID-19. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by a convenience sample constituted by the application of a survey to an adult from each household of a Brazilian quilombola community from July 2021 to July 2021. Results: Among 188 interviewed individuals, 85 (45.2%) reported that they not informed at all by healthcare professionals, and 13 (6.9%) a diagnosis of COVID-19 in their household, with only one case requiring hospitalization and no deaths. College/university level was associated with an increased diagnosis of COVID-19 in their household (OR:37.058, 95%CI:4.053-338.837, p=0.001), while feeling well/very well informed by television/radio was associated with a reduced diagnosis (OR:0.223, 95% CI:0.057-0.878, p=0.032). The most cited sources of information were television (173/188, 92.0%) and radio (171/188, 91.0%) .The study found a high adherence to preventive measures such as wearing face masks (185/188, 98.4%), using alcohol gel (182/188, 96.8%), leaving home only when necessary (183/188, 97.3%), and COVID-19 vaccination (183/188, 97.3%), with 91.5% (172/188) of individuals reporting to adopt all measures. Being married were associated with an increased adherence to all prevention measures (OR:4.598, 95%CI:1.481-14.27, p=0.008), whereas Internet as a source of information was independently associated with a reduced chance of adherence (OR: 0.240; 95% CI: 0.080-0.722, p = 0.011). Facebook as a source of information was associated with an increased chance of someone in the household not being vaccinated (50.0% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.023). Conclusion: There was a high adherence to protective measures, including vaccination against COVID-19, although, many individuals reported not receiving information about the pandemic from health professionals. Our findings emphasize the importance of preventive measures during the pandemic, particularly for vulnerable populations with restricted access to healthcare services, and the need for effective communication strategies by government officials and healthcare professionals to counter sources of misinformation, particularly on social media.