Attitude and Practice of Health Promotion among Community Health Practitioners during Covid 19 Pandemic in Bayelsa State

Abstract

The main aim of the study was to investigate the attitude and practice of Health Promotion activities among Community Health Workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Bayelsa State. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The population for study comprised of all registered Community Health Workers working in both public and private health facilities in Bayelsa State, which according to the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, Bayelsa State chapter was 320 practitioners. A 23-item self-structured questionnaire titled Attitude and Practice of Health Promotion among Community Health Workers during COVID-19 pandemic Questionnaire (APHPCHWCPQ), was used for the collection of data for the study. Three research experts in the field of public health established the face and content validity of the instrument. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained using test-rest method, through Pearson Product Moment correlation and a reliability coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. The data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, ANOVA and Z test statistical tools. The result from the study revealed that community health workers attitude towards health promotion activities during COVID-19 in Bayelsa State was positive (mean=2.58), but their attitudes towards motivating others for health promotion was negative (mean=2.26). The findings from the tested hypotheses revealed that, there was no significant difference in the attitude of community health workers toward health promotion activities during COVID-19 pandemic in Bayelsa State based on location (z-cal=1.333 and z-crit=1.96) and on cadre (F-cal= 2.05 and F-crit=2.67). It was recommended that policies be formulated to compel all community health workers to mandatorily schedule health education as a routine activity at the health facility.