{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T09:56:36Z","timestamp":1785405396848,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,16]],"date-time":"2025-04-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744761600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0Sierra Leone\u2019s health system has faced significant challenges, including the long-term impacts of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, prolonged conflicts before that, and economic factors contributing to the fragility of healthcare systems in many low-income settings. This qualitative study explores COVID-19 prevention practices among healthcare workers in the context of their past experiences with disease outbreaks.\n\nAim:\u00a0This study aims to understand COVID-19 prevention practices among healthcare workers in Sierra Leone and how their past experiences with disease outbreaks influence these practices.\n\nSetting:\u00a0The study was conducted in three districts of Sierra Leone \u2013 Freetown, Makeni and Kenema \u2013 focusing on healthcare workers in a low-income setting with ongoing public health challenges.\n\nMethods:\u00a0In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 healthcare workers, and the data were analysed for themes using the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour.\n\nResults:\u00a0Healthcare workers demonstrated positive attitudes and strict adherence to infection prevention measures, influenced by their Ebola outbreak experience. Barriers included limited personal protective equipment and social disapproval.\n\nConclusion:\u00a0Interventions should focus on improving access to infection prevention tools and combating disapproval through community engagement. These findings are crucial for enhancing infectious disease prevention among healthcare workers in low-income settings.\n\nContribution:\u00a0This study provides insights into how past outbreak experiences influence disease prevention practices among healthcare workers in Sierra Leone, highlighting the need to address adherence barriers. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of infectious disease prevention in low-income settings and enhance global efforts in preparing for future public health emergencies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/jphia.v16i1.739","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,15]],"date-time":"2025-04-15T05:21:42Z","timestamp":1744694502000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["COVID-19 prevention and preparedness among healthcare workers in Sierra Leone"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9306-8084","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ifeolu","family":"David","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00jmfr291","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Michigan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6674-7930","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tyler W.","family":"Myroniuk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02ymw8z06","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Missouri"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3055-6291","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mansoo","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02ymw8z06","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Missouri"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3963-2745","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enid","family":"Schatz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02ymw8z06","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Missouri"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","unstructured":"WHO. 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