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 (χ² = 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.