Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and the effects of COVID-19 on health seeking behaviors and social-economic status among young people in Kenya 

Background: Cases of the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in Kenya have continued to increase rapidly, since the first case in the country was confirmed in March 2020. In the wake of the pandemic, the health and socio-economic challenges experienced by the youth in Kenya are likely to be elevated. We assessed knowledge, practices, perceived risk, adoption of recommended behaviour and the effect of COVID-19 on health seeking behaviour related to sexual and reproductive health and social economic status among the youth.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted between April 30th to May 7th, 2020 among 2,153 youth across all 47 counties in Kenya, through a combined online survey and phone interviews. All survey responses analyzed using STATA v15 were tabulated by gender, age, and education level to generate basic descriptive tables and tested for differences by category using chi-square tests. Where applicable, linear and logistic regression analysis model was conducted using covariates such as employment status, gender, and education level. Results: Knowledge on symptoms of COVID-19 was generally high. Female respondents were more likely to identify more symptoms correctly compared to men; pConclusion: There was high knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, preventive strategies, and adoption of preventive practices. Despite the low reported inability to access health services related to sexual and reproductive health, response measures should include continuity of services. The reported adverse socioeconomic effects of the pandemic show the need for interventions to meet the health and socioeconomic needs of the youth and minimize the long term consequences of the pandemic. Strategies to sustain behaviors positively adopted among young people will be critical to reduce the spread of COVID-19.