Compliance with measures among actors and lessons learnt in the management of COVID-19 institutional quarantine in Uganda

Introduction: To support COVID-19 containment measures, several countries implemented quarantine protocols. This study determined the level of compliance to COVID-19 quarantine measures, associated factors, and lessons learnt in institutional quarantine management in Uganda. Methods: This concurrent mixed methods study involved a cross-sectional survey among individuals who were in institutional quarantine and interviews with key informants, who were reached mostly through phone calls. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariable analysis were conducted to analyse quantitative data while qualitative data were analysed thematically with the aid of Atlas ti 7. Results: Compliance with quarantine measures at the individual level was moderate at 65.4 %. Factors associated with high compliance with measures were: older age (above 40 years) [APR = 1.30 (95 % CI: 1.04–1.63)], spending 14–15 days in quarantine [APR = 1.39 (95 % CI: 1.00–1.92)] and reporting a high Ministry of Health compliance [APR = 1.33 (CI: 1.11–1.58)]. The positive factors included the availability of guidelines, inspection of facilities and training of personnel. The challenges were related to long turnaround time for results and provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). Conclusion: Efforts to improve training, supervision and inspection of facilities, and provision of adequate PPE would improve compliance with quarantine measures

What Motivates People With (Pre)Diabetes to Move? Testing Self-Determination Theory in Rural Uganda.

Introduction: Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a rapid growth of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its related burden. Regular physical activity (PA) is a successful prevention strategy but is challenging to maintain. Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that more autonomous forms of motivation are associated with more sustainable behavior change. Evidence to support this claim is lacking in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to explore the relationships between latent constructs of autonomous and controlled motivation, perceived competence, perceived relatedness, PA behavior, and glycemic biomarkers. Methods: Structural equation modeling was applied to cross-sectional data from a rural Ugandan population (N = 712, pre-diabetes = 329, diabetes = 383). Outcome measures included self-reported moderate and vigorous PA, pedometer counts, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C). Results: Our findings support SDT, but also suggest that different types of motivation regulate different domains and intensities of PA. Higher frequency of vigorous PA - which was linked to a lower HbA1C and FPG - was predicted by autonomous motivation (β = 0.24) but not by controlled motivation (β = -0.05). However, we found no association with moderate PA frequency nor with pedometer counts. Perceived competence and perceived relatedness predicted autonomous motivation. Autonomous motivation functioned as a mediator between those needs and PA behavior. Conclusion: This is the first study providing evidence for a SDT model explaining PA among people at risk of, or living with, T2D in a rural sub-Saharan African setting. Our findings suggest that individuals who experience genuine support from friends or family and who feel competent in doing vigorous PA can become motivated through identification of health benefits of PA as their own goals. This type of motivation resulted in a higher frequency of vigorous PA and better glycemic biomarkers. On the other hand, people who felt more motivated through pressure from others or through feelings of guilt or shame were not more engaged in PA. Clinical Trial Registration: ISRCTN 11913581. Registered January 10, 2017