Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 41 | Published: 07 Oct 2026
Dupe Hambolu1,2,&˒ Stephen Fagbemi3, Gboyega Famoku3, Fumilayo Adeolu3, Victoria Olatunji4, Olufunmilayo Fawole4, Aishat Bukola Usman5, Okoro Nwenyi6, Sunday Hambolu7, Ifeyinwa Martins1, Oladayo Awoyale1,8, Zainab Dambazau1,9, Abdulkareem Durosinlorun1,2, Chinyere Akujobi², Elizabeth Adedire1,10, Oladipo Ogunbode1,9, Muhammad Shakir Balogun1,10
1Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Abuja, Nigeria, 2Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Abuja, Nigeria, 3Ondo State Ministry of Health, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, 4University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 5ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control, West African Health Organization, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 6Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 7National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria, 8Sydani Group, Abuja, Nigeria, 9Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Abuja, Nigeria, 10African Field Epidemiology Network, Abuja, Nigeria
&Corresponding author: Dupe Hambolu, Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Abuja, Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Email: modupehambolu@yahoo.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6850-127X
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 07 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Lassa fever, healthcare workers, healthcare-seeking, delayed care, Ondo State
©Dupe Hambolu et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Dupe Hambolu et al., Against the clock: Effect of late detection of a mumps outbreak in the Western North Region of Ghana, 2022. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):41. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-0041
A convergent mixed-methods cross-sectional study was conducted among 366 HCWs via multistage sampling across six LGAs in Ondo State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire assessed LF knowledge, Health Belief Model constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy), IPC practices, and healthcare-seeking behaviour. Delayed healthcare-seeking was defined as seeking formal care ≥7 days after symptom onset. Knowledge was categorized using a composite score. Quantitative data were analyzed using bivariate analysis followed by parsimonious Firth penalized logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs). Twenty key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted until saturation, analyzed thematically, and integrated with quantitative findings.
The mean age was 40.5±9.1 years, with females comprising 82.8% of respondents. Good LF knowledge was reported by 61.5%, while 29 (7.9%) of 366 HCWs reported delayed care. HCWs aged ≥40 years (AOR=2.32; 95% CI: 1.03–5.69) and those with recent IPC/LF-related training (AOR=3.52; 95% CI: 1.56–8.87) had higher odds of delayed care. Poor knowledge (AOR=1.77; 95% CI: 0.56–4.78), low perceived susceptibility (AOR=2.29; 95% CI: 0.85–5.86), and low perceived barriers (AOR=0.90; 95% CI: 0.39–2.02) were not significantly associated. Findings showed knowledge and perceived risk did not explain delayed care; self-medication, delayed symptom recognition, stigma, workplace pressures, delayed laboratory confirmation, and weak referral systems contributed.
Delayed care was associated with older age and recent IPC/LF-related training, while qualitative findings identified behavioural, occupational, and health-system barriers. The training association was not causal and warrants investigation. Strengthening early symptom recognition, confidential and stigma-sensitive care-seeking, timely diagnosis and referral, and IPC/LF training may improve care during future LF outbreaks.
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