Exploring the Health Care Seeking Behavior of Rohingya Community during COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: COVID-19 was declared a 'pandemic,' and it was the most horrific diseases the world. Objective: The study aimed to explore the healthcare-seeking behavior of Rohingya people during the COVID-19. Materials and methods: It was conducted as a cross-sectional study involving a sample size of 200 participants. Respondents were chosen through convenience sampling methods. The study population was the Rohingya population residing in Cox’s Bazar. A well-designed and pretested set of structured questionnaires was used to collect the information. The total study duration was for 3 months. Informed consent was taken from the participants, and Ethical clearance was taken from the IRB of AIUB. Data were analyzed using IBM STATA 16. Place and period of study: The study was conducted at Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Camp in Bangladesh. Results Majority (40%) of the respondents was aged between 30 to 49 years and 51% of them were female. A significant majority, 88%, expressed a preference for treatment at a Refugee health camp, while 9% opted for a Pharmacy and 3% chose a Traditional healer. Overall, 88% of respondents demonstrated positive behavior, in contrast to 12% who exhibited negative behavior. The results of a multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that factors such as low educational attainment, fear of visiting health facilities, and a lack of awareness regarding COVID-19 prevention were significantly associated with negative health-seeking behavior. Conclusion: The healthcare-seeking behavior exhibited by the Rohingya community in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic has been observed to be commendable.