Socio-economic and demographic determinants of COVID-19 infections and spread at household level: case study from Nigeria

ABSTRACT Many studies have associated the dynamics of diseases’ prevalence with differences in social, economic and demographic status, but it is not yet clear if the same variables explain the spatial distribution of COVID-19 infections in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the spatial spread of COVID-19 infections in relation to socio-demographic risk factors in a typical administrative state – a relatively typical ethnocentric community – in Southwestern Nigeria. Data used were socio-demographics, income variables, COVID-19 status and travel history of 40,300 households. Data were analysed for frequency, prevalence and spatial distributions. The results revealed that COVID-19 cases were heterogeneously distributed within the state. The number of cases was relatively higher in the north and south-eastern parts of the State than in other areas. Male respondents had a higher prevalence (3.7%) of COVID-19 cases compared to their female (2.4%) counterparts. Transmission was most dominant among respondents aged above 70 years old (3.5%), widowed (3.3%) and those who lived in households with between 6 and 10 (4.9%) members. Transmission was also relatively high among those with travel history within the State (9.1%), those that aquired tertiary education (3.8%) and self-employed (3.0%). The study associated imbalanced socio-economic distributions to a diverse range of COVID-19 transmission in the area and therefore advocated for improved policy on residents’ education and sustainable living.