Gender discrepancies in sources of information and COVID-19 pandemic knowledge: Insight from some districts and municipalities in Ghana

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate gender variations in the sources of information and knowledge about COVID-19. The study took place in Okere District, Akuapem South District, and Akuapem North Municipal Assemblies in the Eastern Region of Ghana. A convenient sampling method was employed to select 800 participants, who were given a self-designed questionnaire on COVID-19 knowledge (SMQKC). The hypothesis posited that there would be no significant difference in information sources, knowledge of causes and transmission, symptoms, prevention and control, and other management protocols of COVID-19 between males and females in the urban areas of the studied Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs). The results revealed that social media and radio were the two main sources of information on COVID-19, and the difference in information sources between males and females was statistically significant. An independent t-test indicated a significant difference in knowledge of causes and transmission, symptoms, prevention and control, and other management measures between males and females regarding COVID-19 at a 95% confidence interval. The study suggests, among other things, a targeted effort to disseminate information on diseases, particularly COVID-19, to females, considering their gender roles that bring them closer to risks associated with infectious diseases compared to their male counterparts.