DOI: 10.5061/dryad.dv41ns279
title: Risk perception and impacts of non-conventional medicine on COVID-19 in West-Africa

description: The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly across the world and caused
 several economic, social, and demographic impacts. However, there were
 strong geographical disparities in these impacts of the disease risk
 perception. To control this pandemic, protective measures such as the use
 of non-conventional medicine was widespread in West-Africa. Nevertheless,
 little is known about its impact on risk perception.  To assess
 the impacts of socio-demographic factors and the use of non-conventional
 medicines on COVID-19 risk perception in West Africa, this study
 interviewed people in 4 West African countries (Benin, Togo, Ghana, and
 Côte d’Ivoire). An online quantitative survey was conducted over 5 weeks
 period from 25 August to 2 October 2023 using Google form. Participants
 over 18 years old were eligible to participate. This online survey was
 supplemented by an in-person survey in the same countries to ensure
 inclusivity. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic characteristics,
 risk perception, affective attitude, use and effectiveness of
 non-conventional medicine, and various risk predictors. In total, 688
 participants were recruited (online and in-person survey) with 79 excluded
 because they did not belong to the eligible countries. This data thus
 contains of the above information for 609 participants including 360
 (59.11%) from the in-person survey. Among the 609 respondents, 171
 (28.08%) were from Benin, 200 (32.84 %) from Côte d’Ivoire, 152 (24.96 %)
 from Togo and 86 (14.12 %) from Ghana.
description: To assess the effect of socio-demographic factors and the use of
 non-conventional medicines on COVID-19 risk perception in West Africa, an
 online and in-person survey was conducted over 5-week period from 25
 August to 2 October 2023 using Google form. Four countries were
 considered: Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Only participants over
 18 years old were eligible to participate in the survey. The process of
 selecting participants for the in-person survey was based on selective
 data collection. It consisted of selecting a group of older people and a
 group of people with no formal education after observation and asking the
 participants. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic characteristics
 (Country, gender, age and education level), risk perception, affective
 attitude, use and effectiveness of non-conventional medicine, and various
 risk predictors. The risk feelings covered by 9 items and risk analysis
 related to 3 items. Other variables measured are related to affective
 attitude which includes 4 items, non-conventional medicine (2 items) and
 predictors of trust in government, media, and healthcare personnel (3
 items).
description: # Risk Perception and Impacts of Non-conventional Medicine on COVID-19 in
 West-Africa
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.dv41ns279](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.dv41ns279) ## Description of the data and file structure To assess the effect of socio-demographic factors and the use of non-conventional medicines on COVID-19 risk perception in West Africa, an online and in-person survey was conducted over 5-week period from 25 August to 2 October 2023 using Google form. Four countries were considered: Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Only participants over 18 years old were eligible to participate in the survey. The process of selecting participants for the in-person survey was based on selective data collection. It consisted of selecting a group of older people and a group of people with no formal education after observation and asking the participants. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic characteristics (Country, gender, age and education level), risk perception, affective attitude, use and effectiveness of non-conventional medicine, and various risk predictors. The risk feelings covered by 9 items and risk analysis related to 3 items. Other variables measured are related to affective attitude which includes 4 items, non-conventional medicine (2 items) and predictors of trust in government, media, and healthcare personnel (3 items). Various measurement scales are employed, including 5-point scales with responses ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (extremely) or from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). There are also 7-point scales for the affective attitude with responses ranging from 1 (very negative) to 7 (very positive), 1 (a very bad thing) to 7 (a very good thing), or 1 (extremely unpleasant) to 7 (extremely pleasant). A 6-point scale is used for non-conventional medicine, ranging from 1 (never) to 6 (always). The data and more details on the data description can be found in the metadata sheet in the Excel file name Data_Risk_Perception_Non_Conventional_Medecine2. ### Files and variables #### File: - Data_Risk_Perception_Non_Conventional_Medecine2.xlsx #### **Description:**  ##### Variables * Country: The country in which the survey was done (categorical variable with four modalities : Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire) * Gender: The gender of the participants including Women (1) and Men (2) * Age: The Age of the participants (numeric variable) * Level_ed: The educative level of the participants (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: No formal education (1), Primary level (2) , Second level (3), Bachelor degree (4), Master (5)) * Risk_Feeling_1: When you think about the coronavirus, are you afraid (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Risk_Feeling_2: To what extent does the coronavirus concern you (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Risk_Feeling_3: To what extent do you feel vulnerable to the coronavirus (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Risk_Feeling_4: When you hear about a person with coronavirus, to what extent does your initial reaction try to tell you "this could be me one day" (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: strongly disagree to strongly agree)? * Risk_Feeling_5: In general, what is the risk of contracting coronavirus (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Risk_Feeling_6: In general, what, in your opinion, is the risk that the coronavirus represents for society in your country (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely))? * Risk_Feeling_7: To what extent do you think the coronavirus poses a risk to the health, safety, or prosperity of mankind (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Risk_Feeling_8: What, in your opinion, is the risk of dying from a COVID-19 infection (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Risk_Feeling_9: To what extent do you agree or disagree that the coronavirus/COVID19 will not affect many people in your country at the moment (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: strongly disagree to strongly agree)? * Risk_Analysis_1: What is, in your opinion, the probability that you will contract the coronavirus (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Risk_Analysis_2: If you did not follow government recommendations to reduce infection, what, in your opinion, would be the probability of contracting the coronavirus (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Risk_Analysis_3: If you continue to live as you have so far, what is the probability that you will contract the coronavirus (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Affective_At_1: I consider the coronavirus as something (Categorical variable with 7 modalities: very negative to very positive) * Affective_At_2: Overall, I think that the coronavirus is (Categorical variable with 7 modalities: a very bad thing to a very good thing) * Affective_At_3: For me, the coronavirus is (Categorical variable with 7 modalities: extremely unpleasant to extremely pleasant) * Affective_At_4: When I think about the coronavirus, I mostly feel (Categorical variable with 7 modalities: extremely unpleasant to extremely pleasant) * Trust_1: How much trust do you have in doctors and nurses (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Trust_2: How much trust do you have in politicians in your country regarding COVID-19 (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * Trust_3: How much trust do you have in media information about COVID-19 in your country (Categorical variable with 5 modalities: not at all to extremely)? * USE_M: Have you ever used non-conventional medicine? (yes/no) * NM_1: How many times have you used non-conventional medicine to fight COVID-19 (Categorical variable with 6 modalities: never to always)?  * NM_2: To what extent do you trust non-conventional medicine to fight COVID19 (Categorical variable with 6 modalities: never to always)?