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Health Risk Perception of COVID -19 in Caribbean Countries

Background: The COVID -19 pandemic has affected most countries globally but at various levels of intensity and implications for human health. It is critical to understand the public perception of health risks. In addition to the disease threats to human biology, collective perception of the risk can also influence and alter the pandemic's trajectory based on each country's social and cultural makeup. Aims: To evaluate perceived health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting and Design: Cross-sectional observational survey research was conducted in two Caribbean countries, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Statistical analysis used: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. Methods and Material: The cross-sectional randomized online questionnaire survey was sent to 268 participants in Jamaica and 380 participants in the Dominican Republic. Out of these, 92 people (34%) from Jamaica and 205 (54%) responded to the online questionnaire survey between May 2020 and August 2020, and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) analyzed the data. Results and Discussion: In Jamaica, out of 92 participants, 78% were females, and 22% were males. More than 70% of participants were over 35 yrs. Old. Overall, 52% of participants perceived that the country was not prepared for a crisis such as COVID19. The biggest concerns during this crisis were family health (39%), economic hardship (28%), Prasad et al (2021): Health risk perception of COVID-19 in Caribbean countries Jan 2021 Vol. 24 Issue 01 Annals of Tropical Medicine & Public Health http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2021.241103 societal health (20%), and personal health (13%). In personal health, most Jamaicans were concerned about physical (48%), mental health (26%), and emotional health (14%) during this crisis. In the Dominican Republic, out of 205 participants, 80% were females, and 20% were males. 85% of participants were under 35 yrs. Old. 96% of participants perceived that the country was not prepared for a crisis such as COVID-19. Both family health (41%) and social health (40%) were the most significant concerns, and 7% were concerned about personal health, and 12% concerned about economic hardship. Most Dominicans were equally concerned with physical (35%), emotional (33%), and mental health (32%) during the crisis. Conclusion: The risk perception is an essential determinant of public willingness to cooperate and adopt health behavior modification. The diversity in culture and geography related to personal experience, education, ideology, trust, and values influence people's knowledge and understanding of the risks. The population perceives health risk both in terms of real damage and perceived threat. The differences in the risk perception indicate the variation in social and cultural norms in each country. These results emphasize the need for further understanding of cross-cultural and cross-societal determinants variation in risk perception. Our findings are specific to two Caribbean countries. Based on our findings, policymakers and NGOs should consider risk perception markers and biological markers in designing interventions to mitigate the effects of a pandemic on society.