Research Article

Determinants of Lassa Fever Knowledge, Misconceptions, and Health-Seeking Behaviour Among Adults in Urban Primary Healthcare Settings in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Lassa fever remains a significant public health threat in Nigeria, characterized by recurrent outbreaks, expanding geographic distribution, and substantial mortality. Delayed healthcare presentation can hinder timely diagnosis and treatment, while misconceptions, stigma, and inappropriate health-seeking practices may further impede early care-seeking. This descriptive cross sectional study assessed knowledge, misconceptions and health-seeking behaviour regarding haemorrhagic Lassa fever among adult patients attending Hotoro Primary Health Care Centre, an urban facility in Kano State, Nigeria. A structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 147 of 150 sampled patients (98.0% response rate), selected by simple random sampling. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26, with chi-square tests applied to examine associations between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge level. Overall, 66.7% of respondents demonstrated good knowledge of Lassa fever, driven by strong awareness of common symptoms and major transmission routes, although knowledge of the incubation period (59.9%) and hearing loss as a complication (62.6%) was weaker. Substantial misconceptions persisted, including beliefs that healthcare workers are more susceptible than the general population (56.5%) and that only people with poor hygiene are at risk (53.1%). Knowledge was significantly associated with sex (p = 0.017) and occupation (p < 0.001), but not age, education or prior exposure. While 70.7% of respondents preferred formal healthcare, only 43.5% intended to seek care within 24 hours and preventive practices were inconsistent. These findings indicate that generally satisfactory awareness does not exclude misconceptions or delayed care-seeking, underscoring the need for targeted, occupation- and gender-sensitive health education at primary care level.

Authors affiliation:

Nurudeen Aliyu (ORCID): Department of Public Health, Azman University, Kano State, Nigeria; Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Bayero University, Kano State, Nigeria.
Abdulbaqi Alhaji Magaji (ORCID): Department of Public Health, Azman University, Kano State, Nigeria; Department of Public Health, Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi State, Nigeria. 
Abubakar Labaran Yusuf (ORCID): Kano State Ministry of Health, Post Office Road, Kano, Nigeria; Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Federal University Dutse, Nigeria. 
Ibrahim Umar Aliyu (ORCID): Department of Public Health and Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Kano State, Nigeria.
Muhammad Adamu Abbas (ORCID): Kano State Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kano, Nigeria; Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.
Ibrahim Musa Moi (ORCID): Department of Microbiology, Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
Zainab Aliyu Abdulqadir (ORCID): Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Bayero University, Kano State, Nigeria.
Murtala Sabitu (ORCID): Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Bayero University, Kano State, Nigeria.
Adamu Ibrahim Abdullahi (ORCID): Department of Public Health, Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
Musa Yusuf (ORCID): Department of Public Health, Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi State, Nigeria. 
Abuhuraira Ado Musa (ORCID): Department of Public Health, Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi State, Nigeria.

How To Cite: N. Aliyu, A.A. Magaji, A.L. Yusuf, I.U. Aliyu, M.A. Abbas, I.M. Moi, Z.A. Abdulqadir, M. Sabitu, A.I. Abdullahi, M. Yusuf, and A.A. Musa. Determinants of Lassa Fever Knowledge, Misconceptions, and Health-Seeking Behaviour Among Adults in Urban Primary Healthcare Settings in Kano State, Nigeria. Journal of Applied Health Sciences and Medicine, 6(10):7–15, 2026. https://doi.org/10.58614/jahsm6102