Factors Associated with Willingness to Call Emergency Medical Services for Worsening Symptoms of COVID-19 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Figures & data

Figure 1 Flow diagram of sampling procedure.

Table 1 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of the Study Participants, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June to July 2021

Variables	Frequency (n=414)	Percentage
Age in years (Mean=35.2; SD=11.2)
<25	79	19.1
25–34	142	34.3
35–44	109	26.3
45–54	51	12.3
≥55	33	8.0
Sex
Male	259	62.6
Female	155	37.4
Marital status
Married	240	58.0
Unmarried	174	42.0
Highest level of education completed
Cannot read and write	19	4.6
Primary school	21	5.1
Secondary school	55	13.3
Diploma	93	22.5
University degree and above	226	54.6
Length of stay in Addis Ababa
<2 years	60	14.5
2–5 years	59	14.3
6–10 years	104	25.1
>10 years	191	46.1
Respondents’ language
Amharic	317	76.6
Unable to speak or speak limited Amharic	97	26.4

Table 2 Description of the Respondents’ Awareness of EMS in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June to July 2021

Variables	Frequency	Percentage
Aware availability of prehospital EMS for all kinds of emergency illness or injury
Yes	317	76.6
No	97	23.4
Aware existence of EMS dedicated to transporting COVID-19 patients
Yes	304	73.4
No	110	26.6
I know that there is a charge-free ambulance service to transport COVID-19 patients
Yes	292	70.5
No	122	20.5
Can name at least one EMS calling number
Yes	228	55.1
No	186	44.9
Knowledge of the work of ambulance crew
Inadequate	40	9.7
Adequate	374	90.3

Table 3 Description of Respondents’ Perception of Ambulance Services and the Need to Call EMS in Addis Ababa, June to July 2021

Variables	Frequency	Percentage
Believed that ambulance crew provide high-quality care
Yes	260	62.8
No	154	37.2
Believed that it is safer to go hospital by taxi than ambulance during emergency
Yes	112	27.1
No	302	72.9
Believed that taxi needs less time to arrive than an ambulance
Yes	102	24.6
No	312	75.4
Believed that there is an inadequate ambulance in Addis Ababa and the service is difficult to access
Yes	306	73.9
No	108	26.1
It is ok to transport COVID-19 patients by non-ambulance vehicle
Yes	125	30.2
No	289	69.8
Believed that family members should transport a COVID-19 patient alongside health care professionals
Yes	142	34.3
No	272	65.7
I would call EMS if I feel serious clinical manifestations of COVID-19 such as cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, and tiredness
Yes	307	74.2
No	107	25.8

Table 4 Bivariate and Multivariate Analyses of the Need to Call EMS for Worsening Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 in Addis Ababa, June to July 2021

Variables	Would You Call EMS?		COR(95% CI)	AOR(95% CI)
	Yes	No
Respondents’ language
Amharic	244	73	Ref.	Ref.
Unable to speak or speak limited Amharic	63	34	0.55(0.34–0.91)	0.51(0.28–0.92)*
Aware existence of prehospital EMS for any kind of emergency
Yes	248	68	2.4(1.48–3.92)	1.5(0.79–2.97)
No	59	39	Ref.	Ref.
Aware existence of EMS dedicated to transporting COVID-19 patients
Yes	250	54	4.3(2.67–6.93)	1.1(0.45–2.8)
No	57	53	Ref.	Ref.
I know that there is a charge-free ambulance service to transport COVID-19 patients
Yes	244	48	4.8(2.97–7.63)	3.4(1.92–5.95)***
No	63	59	Ref.	Ref.
Can name at least one EMS calling number
Yes	246	46	5.3(3.33–8.59)	4.3(1.71–10.67)**
No	61	61	Ref.	Ref.
Believed that ambulance crew provide high-quality care
Yes	214	46	3.1(1.94–4.80)	3.6(2.09–6.10)***
No	93	61	Ref.	Ref.
Perceived that there is inadequate ambulance in Addis Ababa and the service is difficult to access
Yes	208	98	0.19(0.09–0.40)	0.25(0.11–0.55)**
No	99	9	Ref.	Ref.

Notes: *P < 0.05 **P <0.01.

Abbreviations: Ref, reference; COR, crude odds ratio; AOR, adjusted odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.