Persistent avoidance of places and people.

BackgroundQuarantine is one of the most effective interventions to contain an infectious disease outbreak, yet it is one of the most disruptive. We investigated the quarantine of an entire village to better understand risk communication requirements for groups.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey study on a single cohort of adult residents in Neustadt am Rennsteig, Germany, six weeks after the removal of a 14-day mandatory community quarantine. The survey response rate was 33% (289/883 residents).FindingsSurvey participants reported a lack of information on the quarantine implementation process. What authorities communicated was not necessarily what residents desired to know. While inhabitants used social media and telephones to communicate with each other, the official information sources were regional radio, television, newspapers and official websites. Public health authorities did not employ social media communication to engage with their communities. Despite a lack of information, the majority of respondents stated that they had complied with the quarantine and they expressed little sympathy for those who violated the quarantine. After lifting the quarantine, many respondents continued to avoid places where they suspected a significant risk of infection, such as family and friends’ homes, doctor’s offices and grocery stores.InterpretationThe survey participants utilised existing social networks to disseminate vital information and stabilise its group identity and behaviour (quarantine compliance). The authorities communicated sparsely in a unidirectional, top-down manner, without engaging the community. Despite the lack of official information, the social coherency of the group contributed to considerate and compliant conduct, but participants expressed dissatisfaction with official leadership and asked for more attention.ConclusionPublic health risk communication must engage with communities more effectively. This necessitates a deeper comprehension of groups, their modes of communication and their social needs.</div

Information needs of participants.

BackgroundQuarantine is one of the most effective interventions to contain an infectious disease outbreak, yet it is one of the most disruptive. We investigated the quarantine of an entire village to better understand risk communication requirements for groups.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey study on a single cohort of adult residents in Neustadt am Rennsteig, Germany, six weeks after the removal of a 14-day mandatory community quarantine. The survey response rate was 33% (289/883 residents).FindingsSurvey participants reported a lack of information on the quarantine implementation process. What authorities communicated was not necessarily what residents desired to know. While inhabitants used social media and telephones to communicate with each other, the official information sources were regional radio, television, newspapers and official websites. Public health authorities did not employ social media communication to engage with their communities. Despite a lack of information, the majority of respondents stated that they had complied with the quarantine and they expressed little sympathy for those who violated the quarantine. After lifting the quarantine, many respondents continued to avoid places where they suspected a significant risk of infection, such as family and friends’ homes, doctor’s offices and grocery stores.InterpretationThe survey participants utilised existing social networks to disseminate vital information and stabilise its group identity and behaviour (quarantine compliance). The authorities communicated sparsely in a unidirectional, top-down manner, without engaging the community. Despite the lack of official information, the social coherency of the group contributed to considerate and compliant conduct, but participants expressed dissatisfaction with official leadership and asked for more attention.ConclusionPublic health risk communication must engage with communities more effectively. This necessitates a deeper comprehension of groups, their modes of communication and their social needs.</div

S1 File -

BackgroundQuarantine is one of the most effective interventions to contain an infectious disease outbreak, yet it is one of the most disruptive. We investigated the quarantine of an entire village to better understand risk communication requirements for groups.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey study on a single cohort of adult residents in Neustadt am Rennsteig, Germany, six weeks after the removal of a 14-day mandatory community quarantine. The survey response rate was 33% (289/883 residents).FindingsSurvey participants reported a lack of information on the quarantine implementation process. What authorities communicated was not necessarily what residents desired to know. While inhabitants used social media and telephones to communicate with each other, the official information sources were regional radio, television, newspapers and official websites. Public health authorities did not employ social media communication to engage with their communities. Despite a lack of information, the majority of respondents stated that they had complied with the quarantine and they expressed little sympathy for those who violated the quarantine. After lifting the quarantine, many respondents continued to avoid places where they suspected a significant risk of infection, such as family and friends’ homes, doctor’s offices and grocery stores.InterpretationThe survey participants utilised existing social networks to disseminate vital information and stabilise its group identity and behaviour (quarantine compliance). The authorities communicated sparsely in a unidirectional, top-down manner, without engaging the community. Despite the lack of official information, the social coherency of the group contributed to considerate and compliant conduct, but participants expressed dissatisfaction with official leadership and asked for more attention.ConclusionPublic health risk communication must engage with communities more effectively. This necessitates a deeper comprehension of groups, their modes of communication and their social needs.</div

Overview of qualitative analysis.

BackgroundQuarantine is one of the most effective interventions to contain an infectious disease outbreak, yet it is one of the most disruptive. We investigated the quarantine of an entire village to better understand risk communication requirements for groups.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey study on a single cohort of adult residents in Neustadt am Rennsteig, Germany, six weeks after the removal of a 14-day mandatory community quarantine. The survey response rate was 33% (289/883 residents).FindingsSurvey participants reported a lack of information on the quarantine implementation process. What authorities communicated was not necessarily what residents desired to know. While inhabitants used social media and telephones to communicate with each other, the official information sources were regional radio, television, newspapers and official websites. Public health authorities did not employ social media communication to engage with their communities. Despite a lack of information, the majority of respondents stated that they had complied with the quarantine and they expressed little sympathy for those who violated the quarantine. After lifting the quarantine, many respondents continued to avoid places where they suspected a significant risk of infection, such as family and friends’ homes, doctor’s offices and grocery stores.InterpretationThe survey participants utilised existing social networks to disseminate vital information and stabilise its group identity and behaviour (quarantine compliance). The authorities communicated sparsely in a unidirectional, top-down manner, without engaging the community. Despite the lack of official information, the social coherency of the group contributed to considerate and compliant conduct, but participants expressed dissatisfaction with official leadership and asked for more attention.ConclusionPublic health risk communication must engage with communities more effectively. This necessitates a deeper comprehension of groups, their modes of communication and their social needs.</div

Recommendations for communication during quarantine.

Recommendations for communication during quarantine.</p

Recommendations for successful quarantine management.

Recommendations for successful quarantine management.</p

Reasons given for quarantine non-compliance.

BackgroundQuarantine is one of the most effective interventions to contain an infectious disease outbreak, yet it is one of the most disruptive. We investigated the quarantine of an entire village to better understand risk communication requirements for groups.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods survey study on a single cohort of adult residents in Neustadt am Rennsteig, Germany, six weeks after the removal of a 14-day mandatory community quarantine. The survey response rate was 33% (289/883 residents).FindingsSurvey participants reported a lack of information on the quarantine implementation process. What authorities communicated was not necessarily what residents desired to know. While inhabitants used social media and telephones to communicate with each other, the official information sources were regional radio, television, newspapers and official websites. Public health authorities did not employ social media communication to engage with their communities. Despite a lack of information, the majority of respondents stated that they had complied with the quarantine and they expressed little sympathy for those who violated the quarantine. After lifting the quarantine, many respondents continued to avoid places where they suspected a significant risk of infection, such as family and friends’ homes, doctor’s offices and grocery stores.InterpretationThe survey participants utilised existing social networks to disseminate vital information and stabilise its group identity and behaviour (quarantine compliance). The authorities communicated sparsely in a unidirectional, top-down manner, without engaging the community. Despite the lack of official information, the social coherency of the group contributed to considerate and compliant conduct, but participants expressed dissatisfaction with official leadership and asked for more attention.ConclusionPublic health risk communication must engage with communities more effectively. This necessitates a deeper comprehension of groups, their modes of communication and their social needs.</div

Recommended topics to communicate during quarantine.

Recommended topics to communicate during quarantine.</p

Table_4_Madagascar's EPI vaccine programs: A systematic review uncovering the role of a child's sex and other barriers to vaccination.DOCX

BackgroundImmunizations are one of the most effective tools a community can use to increase overall health and decrease the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. Nevertheless, socioeconomic status, geographical location, education, and a child's sex have been identified as contributing to inequities in vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Madagascar follows the World Health Organization's Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI) schedule, yet vaccine distribution remains highly inequitable throughout the country. This systematic review sought to understand the differences in EPI vaccine uptake between boys and girls in Madagascar.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted in August 2021 through MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Global Index Medicus, and Google Scholar to identify articles reporting sex-disaggregated vaccination rates in Malagasy children. Gray literature was also searched for relevant data. All peer-reviewed articles reporting sex-disaggregated data on childhood immunizations in Madagascar were eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed using a tool designed for use in systematic reviews. Data extraction was conducted with a pre-defined data extraction tool. Sex-disaggregated data were synthesized to understand the impact of a child's sex on vaccination status.FindingsThe systematic search identified 585 articles of which a total of three studies were included in the final data synthesis. One additional publication was included from the gray literature search. Data from included articles were heterogeneous and, overall, indicated similar vaccination rates in boys and girls. Three of the four articles reported slightly higher vaccination rates in girls than in boys. A meta-analysis was not conducted due to the heterogeneity of included data. Six additional barriers to immunization were identified: socioeconomic status, mother's education, geographic location, supply chain issues, father's education, number of children in the household, and media access.InterpretationThe systematic review revealed the scarcity of available sex-stratified immunization data for Malagasy children. The evidence available was limited and heterogeneous, preventing researchers from conclusively confirming or denying differences in vaccine uptake based on sex. The low vaccination rates and additional barriers identified here indicate a need for increased focus on addressing the specific obstacles to vaccination in Madagascar. A more comprehensive assessment of sex-disaggregated vaccination status of Malagasy children and its relationship with such additional obstacles is recommended. Further investigation of potential differences in vaccination status will allow for the effective implementation of strategies to expand vaccine coverage in Madagascar equitably.Funding and registrationAH, BT, FM, GN, and RR are supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (grant number: OPP1205877). The review protocol is registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021265000).</p

Table_3_Madagascar's EPI vaccine programs: A systematic review uncovering the role of a child's sex and other barriers to vaccination.DOCX

BackgroundImmunizations are one of the most effective tools a community can use to increase overall health and decrease the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. Nevertheless, socioeconomic status, geographical location, education, and a child's sex have been identified as contributing to inequities in vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Madagascar follows the World Health Organization's Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI) schedule, yet vaccine distribution remains highly inequitable throughout the country. This systematic review sought to understand the differences in EPI vaccine uptake between boys and girls in Madagascar.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted in August 2021 through MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Global Index Medicus, and Google Scholar to identify articles reporting sex-disaggregated vaccination rates in Malagasy children. Gray literature was also searched for relevant data. All peer-reviewed articles reporting sex-disaggregated data on childhood immunizations in Madagascar were eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed using a tool designed for use in systematic reviews. Data extraction was conducted with a pre-defined data extraction tool. Sex-disaggregated data were synthesized to understand the impact of a child's sex on vaccination status.FindingsThe systematic search identified 585 articles of which a total of three studies were included in the final data synthesis. One additional publication was included from the gray literature search. Data from included articles were heterogeneous and, overall, indicated similar vaccination rates in boys and girls. Three of the four articles reported slightly higher vaccination rates in girls than in boys. A meta-analysis was not conducted due to the heterogeneity of included data. Six additional barriers to immunization were identified: socioeconomic status, mother's education, geographic location, supply chain issues, father's education, number of children in the household, and media access.InterpretationThe systematic review revealed the scarcity of available sex-stratified immunization data for Malagasy children. The evidence available was limited and heterogeneous, preventing researchers from conclusively confirming or denying differences in vaccine uptake based on sex. The low vaccination rates and additional barriers identified here indicate a need for increased focus on addressing the specific obstacles to vaccination in Madagascar. A more comprehensive assessment of sex-disaggregated vaccination status of Malagasy children and its relationship with such additional obstacles is recommended. Further investigation of potential differences in vaccination status will allow for the effective implementation of strategies to expand vaccine coverage in Madagascar equitably.Funding and registrationAH, BT, FM, GN, and RR are supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (grant number: OPP1205877). The review protocol is registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021265000).</p