{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,16]],"date-time":"2026-10-16T00:24:55Z","timestamp":1792110295713,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]],"date-time":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1715644800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004892","name":"Agencia Espa\u00f1ola de Cooperaci\u00f3n Internacional para el Desarrollo","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004892","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Fundo Nacional de Investigacao"},{"name":"CHAMPS Network, Emory University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted countries to swiftly implement rigorous preventive measures on a population-wide scale worldwide. However, in low-income countries like Mozambique this was difficult, coupled with a generalised lack of knowledge on how the population understood and complied with these measures. This study assessed community perceptions and implementation of anti-COVID-19 measures recommended by Mozambican authorities in Manhi\u00e7a and Quelimane districts, including confinement, social distancing, frequent handwashing, mask wearing, and quarantine as the key practices to evaluate. We conducted a cross-sectional quantitative survey in October 2020 and February 2021, interviewing heads of households, face-to-face. The data collected included self-evaluation of compliance and existence of handwashing facilities and face-masks in the households, aided by observations. We present descriptive statistics on perceptions and compliance at individual and household levels. Out of the 770 participants, nearly all (98.7%) were aware of Coronavirus disease, including the term COVID-19 (89.2%). Knowledge varied between districts, with Manhi\u00e7a participants showing higher levels of sufficient ability to define the disease. The symptoms most mentioned were dry cough (17.8%), fever (15.7%), flu-like symptoms (14.2%), breathing difficulties (13.6%), and headache (13.1%). Participants recognized various transmission modes, including touching infected objects and inhaling infected air. Preventive measures like handwashing with soap or sanitizing hands with alcohol, wearing masks, and social distancing were acknowledged, but the understanding varied. Compliance with these measures was generally low, with fewer than half of respondents reporting adherence to them. Only 30.4% of households had handwashing facilities (of which only 41.0% had water), and masks were often limited to one per person aged 6 years or more. Community members in Manhica and Quelimane were aware of COVID-19 but had limited understanding of what the preventive measures meant, and had lower levels of compliance. Understanding and addressing the factors affecting the proper implementation of these measures is crucial for improving community adherence in preventing infectious diseases with epidemic potential.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0278439","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]],"date-time":"2024-05-14T13:32:19Z","timestamp":1715693539000},"page":"e0278439","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Perceptions and compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures in Southern and Central regions of Mozambique: A quantitative in-person household survey in the districts of Manhi\u00e7a and Quelimane"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3206-2372","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ariel","family":"Nhacolo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6381-4576","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Am\u00edlcar","family":"Maga\u00e7o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Felizarda","family":"Amosse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aura","family":"Hunguana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Teodimiro","family":"Matsena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ars\u00e9nio","family":"Nhacolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elisio","family":"Xerinda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0875-7596","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Quique","family":"Bassat","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8724-0319","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Charfudin","family":"Sacoor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Inacio","family":"Mandomando","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3888-5126","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kh\u00e1tia","family":"Munguambe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0278439.ref001","first-page":"157","article-title":"WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic","volume":"19","author":"D. Cucinotta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Biomed"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref002","unstructured":"WHO, \u201cThe World Health Organization and Wikimedia Foundation expand access to trusted information about COVID-19 on Wikipedia,\u201d 2020. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/22-10-2020-the-world-health-organization-and-wikimedia-foundation-expand-access-to-trusted-information-about-covid-19-on-wikipedia"},{"issue":"10229","key":"pone.0278439.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1015","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(20)30673-5","article-title":"COVID-19: Towards controlling of a pandemic","volume":"395","author":"J. Bedford","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref004","first-page":"0","volume-title":"Boletim da Republica: Decreto Presidencial n.o 11\/2020, de 30 de Mar\u00e7o que Decreta o Estado de Emerg\u00eancia","author":"A. da Republica","year":"2020"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref005","volume-title":"Plano Nacional de Prepara\u00e7\u00e3o e Resposta a Pandemia do Covid-19","author":"MISAU","year":"2020"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref006","unstructured":"Lusa, \u201cVendedores informais de Maputo t\u00eam de escolher entre a fome e a doen\u00e7a; 31 de Marco 2020,\u201d Mar. 31, 2020. [Online]. https:\/\/www.rtp.pt\/noticias\/covid-19\/vendedores-informais-de-maputo-tem-de-escolher-entre-a-fome-e-a-doenca_n1217054."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0278439.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s13031-020-00296-8","article-title":"COVID-19 control in low-income settings and displaced populations: What can realistically be done?","volume":"14","author":"M. Dahab","year":"2020","journal-title":"Confl. Health"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref008","volume-title":"Fertility and its proximate determinants in Mozambique: an analysis of levels, trends, differentials and region variation","author":"C. Arnaldo","year":"2003"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0278439.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0259621","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0259621","article-title":"Consent to minimally invasive tissue sampling procedures in children in Mozambique: A mixed-methods study","volume":"16","author":"K. Munguambe","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref010","unstructured":"I. N. de E. INE, \u201cQUADRO 1. POPULA\u00c7\u00c3O RECENSEADA POR \u00c1REA DE RESID\u00caNCIA E CATEGORIA CENSIT\u00c1RIA, SEGUNDO SEXO E IDADE. PROV\u00cdNCIA DA ZAMBEZIA, 2017,\u201d 2022. http:\/\/www.ine.gov.mz\/iv-rgph-2017\/zambezia\/quadro-1-populacao-recenseada-por-area-de-residencia-e-categoria-censitaria-segundo-sexo-e-idade-provincia-da-zambezia-2017.xlsx\/view."},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref011","first-page":"1","article-title":"Cohort profile update: Manhi\u00e7a Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) of the Manhi\u00e7a Health Research Centre (CISM)","author":"A. Nhacolo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Epidemiol"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0278439.ref012","volume":"33","author":"WHO, UNICEF, and JMP","year":"2017","journal-title":"Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/0471445428","volume-title":"Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions","author":"J. L. Fleiss","year":"2003"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref014","volume-title":"Manual de prevencao da COVID-19","author":"MISAU","year":"2020"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"CDC, \u201cHandwashing in Communities: Clean Hands Save Lives,\u201d 2020. https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/handwashing\/index.html.","DOI":"10.1080\/15398285.2019.1710981"},{"issue":"December","key":"pone.0278439.ref016","first-page":"1","article-title":"Mask use in the context of COVID-19","author":"WHO","year":"2020","journal-title":"World Heal. Organ."},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref017","unstructured":"CDC, \u201cCOVID-19: Quarantine vs. Isolation,\u201d p. 317422, 2020."},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref018","unstructured":"StataCorp, \u201cStata 14.2 Statistics\/Data Analysis.\u201d StataCorp LP, Texas, 2015."},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref019","unstructured":"C. C. Trindade, \u201cConv\u00edvio e solidariedade: pr\u00e1ticas de xitique em Mo\u00e7ambique,\u201d 2011. [Online]. https:\/\/silo.tips\/download\/convivio-e-solidariedade-praticas-de-xitique-em-moambique."},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref020","article-title":"A organiza\u00e7\u00e3o dos trabalhadores do sector informal dos mercados de Maputo e sua ac\u00e7\u00e3o na promo\u00e7\u00e3o de melhores condi\u00e7\u00f5es de vida e de trabalho O papel da Associa\u00e7\u00e3o dos Operadores e Trabalhadores do Sector Informal\u2014ASSOTSI","author":"T. C. e Silva","year":"2005","journal-title":"Genebra"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref021","article-title":"Response Biases in Standardised Surveys","author":"K. Bogner","year":"2016","journal-title":"Mannheim, Germany"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref022","unstructured":"PERC, \u201cEffective Implementation of Public Health and Social Measures in Mozambique: Situational Analysis,\u201d 2020. [Online]. https:\/\/preventepidemics.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Mozambique_perc-countrybrief_mobility.pdf."},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref023","article-title":"Perceptions of COVID-19 in Mozambique and the influence of \u2018intermediaries,\u2019","author":"L. P. E. Chaimite","year":"2020","journal-title":"Institute of Development Studies"},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1147","DOI":"10.2147\/IJGM.S280532","article-title":"Compliance with COVID-19 Preventive and Control Measures among Food and Drink Establishments in Bench-Sheko and West-Omo Zones, Ethiopia, 2020","volume":"13","author":"Q. Q. Kayrite","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Gen. Med."},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijid.2021.12.356","article-title":"Community seroprevalence and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in different subpopulations in Vellore, India, and their implications for future prevention","volume":"116","author":"D. Dayanand","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"pone.0278439.ref026","author":"D. Fallesen","year":"2021","journal-title":"How COVID-19 impacted vulnerable communities in the Philippines"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0278439","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]],"date-time":"2024-05-14T13:32:47Z","timestamp":1715693567000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0278439"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Dirceu Henrique Paulo","family":"Mabunda","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0278439","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1101\/2022.11.17.22282473","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,14]]}}}