Knowledge and attitudes regarding Covid‐19 among syrian refugee women in Jordan

Hamadneh, Shereen; Hamadneh, Jehan; Amarin, Zouhair; Kassab, Manal; Obeidat, Rawan; Rawashdeh, Hasan

OBJECTIVES: To explore knowledge and attitude about Covid‐19, among Syrian refugee mothers in the Governorate of Irbid, where the first outbreak of Covid‐19 in Jordan took place. METHODS: This is a cross‐section study among Syrian refugee mothers, who were pregnant or having had children. Data was collected through an online questionnaire. The survey link was distributed in April 2020, through the social network's messaging services Facebook and WhatsApp. Contact information was obtained from local community centres and non‐governmental organisations in the town of Irbid, the north of Jordan. RESULTS: In total, 389 Syrian refugee mothers participated in the study. It showed that 66% of mother's access information regarding Covid‐19. The main sources of information were Facebook 87%, WhatsApp 69%, television 53%, while 21% indicated that they access professional databases or government websites. In general, Syrian refugee mothers were knowledgeable about Covid‐19 transmission and prevention. However, they lacked adequate knowledge about transmission of Covid‐19 between the mother and the child, and smoking risks associated with Covid‐19. CONCLUSIONS: There are gaps in the knowledge and attitude of Syrian refugee mothers in the Governorate of Irbid in relation to the Covid‐19 pandemic. There is a need for further health education measures.