Assessing the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Students Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted everyone, including students. Accurate information about the disease, its spread, preventive measures and government-issued advisories is critical for containing an outbreak. We evaluated the knowledge, attitudes and practices, and the key behavioural determinants of clinical outcomes, among university students. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among IIHMR University students (31 March to 10 April 2020), soon after the nationwide lockdown in India. Through purposive sampling, we enrolled 529 students, who completed a semi-structured questionnaire (44% completion rate). Knowledge level of the participants was assessed using a scoring system, and chi-squared test and t-test were performed to detect significant ( p < 0.05) differences among various groups. Results: More than 70 per cent of students had good knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, mode of transmission and preventive measures, and 66 per cent knew about treatment approaches. Social media (83%) and TV (77%) were their primary sources of information. Most students showed a willingness to follow social distancing and lockdown guidelines; however, only 27 per cent perceived the risk of infection. Nearly all students reported compliance with government health advisories. Conclusions: We evaluated COVID-19 awareness and impacts of various information sources on effective outbreak containment. Improved community engagement activities and effective communication are needed during widespread disease outbreaks.

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Knowledge of Iranian Dentists, Dental Specialists, and Dental Students Towards COVID-19: A Preliminary Survey of 778 Subjects

Shiraz E-Medical Journal ◽

10.5812/semj.106515 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (12) ◽

Author(s):

Farzin Sarkarat ◽

Alireza Tootoonchian ◽

Marjan Hosseinpour ◽

Mehrzad Moghadasi ◽

Vahid Rakhshan

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Dental Students ◽

Accurate Information ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Preliminary Study

Background: COVID-19 is a serious pandemic. However, no studies worldwide have assessed the knowledge of any healthcare workers, including dentists, towards COVID-19. Objectives: Given the importance of Iran as an epicenter of this disease, this preliminary study assessed the knowledge of dentists, dental students, and dental specialists towards COVID-19. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire with 23 questions (three regarding sources of information and 20 regarding knowledge) was developed through a pilot study. It was distributed electronically to dental professions/students, 778 of whom completed it. Factors associated with knowledge were assessed using the chi-square test in SPSS (α = 0.05). Results: Above 70% of the responders answered correctly to all questions, except for six more technical questions, including handwashing-related questions. Age, specialization, and attendance at lectures and meetings did not play a role in grasping accurate information (all P values > 0.1). Men had poorer information (P = 0.014), and the sources of information were mostly official websites and social networks (P = 0.000). Conclusions: Knowledge of dentists, dental students, and specialists towards SARS-CoV-2 is generally good, except in the case of more technical questions that need more education (especially regarding handwashing).

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Knowledge, attitudes and practices about Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among Birzeit University students: A cross-sectional study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-83268/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hani A. Naseef ◽

Ni'meh Al-Shami ◽

Lilian S. Abu Hadba ◽

Leen A. Humos ◽

Ruba N. Shaheen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Health Professions ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Aim: COVID-19 the novel corona virus that has been characterized as a pandemic; as it spreads all over the world and has so far infected more than 20 million worldwide. In Palestine, the first seven cases were documented on March 5th, 2020 followed by the declaration of the state of emergency. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices toward COVID-19 among Birzeit University students.Subject and methods: A cross sectional study was carried out, a questionnaire was developed based on the WHO, CDC, ECDC recommendations. The questionnaire was distributed online and filled by Birzeit University students. Chi-square testing was performed to check for significant association between KAP and different sociodemographic variables. Binary logistic regression performed to identify and control the confounding factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22).Results: A total of 665 students have completed the online questionnaire. The mean age was (20.55±3.069) years. Multivariate analysis revealed that males, students from health professions and scientific faculties and those with highly educated parents had manifested a good knowledge level (GKL) about Covid -19. Regarding students’ practices, less negative practices were prompted by students from health professions faculty and the students living at the middle governorate of Palestine compared to north, south and Jerusalem dwellers. With regards to the practices, the vast majority of the participants held a positive and very cautious practice towards the COVID-19 epidemic.Conclusion: Our results revealed that students had variable knowledge regarding Covid-19 and the vast majority depended on the official media briefs in Palestine as a source of information. With regards to practices, positive and cautious practices towards the COVID-19 epidemic were carried out by the vast majority of participants.

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Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among university students in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology ◽

10.1515/jbcpp-2020-0436 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 681-686

Author(s):

Shah Faisal ◽

Junaidi Khotib ◽

Elida Zairina

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Government ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices ◽

Area Of Study

Abstract Objectives Pakistan has taken unprecedented measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Complete lockdown followed by smart lockdown and quarantine centres was established. Their awareness and attitude towards COVID-19 had an impact on the individual behaviour of the precautionary measures. The current study examined the knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students in Pakistan. Methods An online cross-sectional study was conducted among university students in Pakistan. A questionnaire containing demographic and KAP information related to COVID-19 has been created. Results A total of 358 students responded to the survey, and 353 participants completed the study. Among the respondents, 61.5% were male, 76.8% were single, and 58.4% enrolled in a bachelor’s degree. The results showed that most of the respondents (68%) had good knowledge about COVID-19, while the overall knowledge score was 8.78 ± 1.63 (range 1–10). The majority of the respondents (90.9%) were aware of COVID-19, 95.8% knew the sign and symptoms, and 83% of them knew about its transmission. We found a significant difference in knowledge scores across education and area of study p<0.05. More than half (53.5%) of the respondents were satisfied with the facilities provided by the government of Pakistan. The average practices score among the students was 5.08 ± 1.312. A significant difference was found among practice score and area of study p<0.05. Conclusions Most of the students have an adequate level of knowledge and are doing better preventive measures against COVID-19. Health education initiatives are required to ensure best practice among the high-risk groups.

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A cross sectional study on knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding swine flu in urban slum of Hyderabad, India

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences ◽

10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20193388 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. 3014

Author(s):

Snigdha Pattnaik ◽

Rayyan Abdul Khader

Keyword(s):

Sex Education ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Urban Slum ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Swine Flu ◽

Care Seeking ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The People

Background: The study was conducted in the Urban slum area, Shekpet, Hyderabad, India which is the field practice area of Apollo Medical college.Methods: The aims was to study the awareness regarding symptoms, mode of spread and preventive measures of swine flu in the study population and to study the sources of information and health care seeking pattern of the population. Pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect information onsocio -demographic characteristics (age, sex, education and occupation), knowledge and awareness about the disease (nature, mode of spread/transmission, clinical features, preventive measures and precautions).Results: Majority were unaware of spread of Swine Flu from Pigs. 32% of them said it spreads through coughing and 27% through sneezing. About 15% of them said it spreads by sharing same room.Conclusions: The cross sectional study, was taken up during the recent outbreak of Swine flu in Hyderabad. Knowledge, Attitude and Prevention practices of the infection, was carried out in the urban slum of Shaikpet area the study will create awareness of the disease and its preventive measures among the people. Thus, it would reduce the incidence of occurrences of the disease in future.

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Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice towards Dengue: A Study among the Inhabitants of Malibagh of Dhaka city, Bangladesh

Social Behavior Research & Health ◽

10.18502/sbrh.v5i1.6733 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nowshin Sharmila ◽

Shah Ehsan Habib

Keyword(s):

Positive Attitude ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Dengue Infection ◽

Preventive Measure ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Capital City ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

The Government

Background: Dengue remains a major public health challenge causing death among many people in Bangladesh. The magnitude of dengue-related illness and death has significantly increased over recent years. Study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to Dengue fever. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 193 males and females who consented to participate in the study. Respondents were included purposively from selected areas in Malibagh an area classified as a stable dengue-prone region of the capital city. The survey was carried out by face-to-face interview using a pre-tested standardized and structured questionnaire. Results: The results reveal that dengue infection occurred in 20.2% of residents. Only 27.5% had a good knowledge score (8 out of 11 items), and 83.9% had a positive attitude, while 34.2% had a good compliance practice. Knowledge was significantly associated with education, income, and age (p < 0.05). Misconceptions existed about the transmission of dengue – more than one-third (36.8%) reported that the Aedes aegypti mosquito could only breed in clean water, and 32.1% were aware of the biting time of the mosquito. Most participants (55.4%) strongly agreed that dengue is a serious illness, and over half (65.3%) reported that it could be prevented with coverage of vector control interventions. The majority (64.2%) used mosquito nets as a preventive measure, while over one-third (35.2%) reported they discarded waste, containers, and non-used bottles across their yards that hold water. Although the respondents had quite positive attitude of preventive measures regarding dengue (83.9%), a sizeable number (34.2%) did not put this attitude into practice. Conclusion: Poorly planned urbanization combined with an explosive urban population in the capital city has brought the mosquito and the human host into close proximity. The government should launch health education programs on dengue prevention to educate the community members, addressing misconceptions about their preventive measures and on how they could eliminate the risk factors related to practices.

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The Impact of Information Sources on COVID-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) among University Students: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182312462 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (23) ◽

pp. 12462

Author(s):

Israa Baker ◽

Nizar Marzouqa ◽

Bashar Nafe’ Yaghi ◽

Samer Osama Adawi ◽

Shahd Yousef ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Information Sources ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Refugee Camps ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

COVID-19 is an emerging respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus accompanied by a tsunami of misinformation and fake news. This can weaken the public health responses by affecting the COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the public. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was designed during the early stage of the pandemic to evaluate the KAP of Palestinian university students and their commonly used information sources. We found that the most trusted information source among students was the World Health Organization (WHO), followed by the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) briefings and healthcare workers, whereas social media was the most frequently used source of information. The participants exhibited a high level of COVID-19-related knowledge, having an average score of 8.65 (range: 0–10). In total, 76% avoided going to crowded places, and only 33% wore a mask while being outdoors. The vast majority (93%) checked the accuracy of COVID-19-related information before publishing it, 56% used the WHO and MoH briefings for fact-checking, and only 8% relied on healthcare workers. This was particularly the case for those who lived in refugee camps. This study provides an insight into the information sources used by Palestinian university students, the sources they trust, and the information formats they prefer. These results may help public health authorities to locate the information sources through which university students should be targeted. Efforts should be made to recommend healthcare workers as credible information sources. In this way, they will be able to prevent the spread of misleading information and provide high-quality information, especially within unconventional settings such as refugee camps.

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The Influence of COVID-19 Information Sources on the Attitudes and Practices Toward COVID-19 Among the General Public of Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional Online Survey Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28888 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Noor Alshareef ◽

Ismaeel Yunusa ◽

Mohammed Khaled Al-Hanawi

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

General Public ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in panic among the general public, leading many people to seek out information related to COVID-19 through various sources, including social media and traditional media. Identifying public preferences for obtaining such information may help health authorities to effectively plan successful health preventive and educational intervention strategies. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the types of sources used for obtaining COVID-19 information on the attitudes and practices of the general public in Saudi Arabia during the pandemic, and to identify the socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with the use of different sources of information. METHODS This study used data from a cross-sectional online survey conducted on residents of Saudi Arabia from March 20 to 24, 2020. Data were analyzed using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Bivariate analysis of categorical variables was performed to determine the associations between information sources and socioeconomic and demographic factors. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to examine whether socioeconomic and demographic variables were associated with the source of information used to obtain information about COVID-19. Moreover, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine how sources of information influence attitudes and practices of adhering to preventive measures. RESULTS In this analysis of cross-sectional survey data, 3358 participants were included. Most participants reported using social media, followed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as their primary source of information. Seeking information via social media was significantly associated with lower odds of having an optimistic attitude (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.845, 95% CI 0.733-0.974; P=.02) and adhering to preventive measures (aOR 0.725, 95% CI 0.630-0.835; P<.001) compared to other sources of information. Participants who obtained their COVID-19 information via the MOH had greater odds of having an optimistic attitude (aOR 1.437, 95% CI 1.234-1.673; P<.001) and adhering to preventive measures (aOR 1.393, 95% CI 1.201-1.615; P<.001) than those who obtained information via other sources. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that different sources of information influence attitudes and preventive actions differently within a pandemic crisis context. Health authorities in Saudi Arabia should pay attention to the use of appropriate social media channels and sources to allow for more effective dissemination of critical information to the public.

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Coping during COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Community: Religious Attitudes, Practices and Associated Factors

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18168651 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (16) ◽

pp. 8651

Author(s):

Fahad D. Algahtani ◽

Mohamed Ali Alzain ◽

Najoua Haouas ◽

Khadijah Angawi ◽

Bandar Alsaif ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Preventive Measures ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Lower Education Level ◽

Education Interventions ◽

Health Education Interventions ◽

Regression Tests

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many societies’ life aspects and activities including social and Islamic practices; more attention should be given to investigate the interaction between Islamic worships and the spread of the disease. Here, we performed a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire to assess the preventive Islamic attitudes and practices during the COVID-19 lockdown period from the Saudi publics’ perspectives. Mann-Whitney, Kruskal and logistic regression tests were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that most participants had positive Islamic attitudes and practices. However, elders and males were less obeyed to preventive measures during performing worship (p < 0.05). While younger, females and not married were less obeyed when dealing with COVID-19 related death (p < 0.05). Even though, elders were less likely to have poor social and Islamic practices concerning adherence to preventive measures during the pandemic (OR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.176–0.816) than younger. Furthermore, males, Saudi participants, lower education level, lower Islamic attitudes scores were more likely to have poor social and Islamic practices concerning adherence to preventive measures during the pandemic (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.126–2.421; OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.067–2.322; OR = 3.09; 95% CI: 1.721–5.563; and OR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.309–2.753, respectively), than their corresponding targeted counterparts. Thus, despite the high preventative perceptions of Islamic attitudes and practices of the Saudi community, our study highlighted some risk groups with less preventative practices. Thus, targeted health education interventions are highly recommended for these risk groups to enhance the commitment to government instructions.

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COVID-19 misinformation: Mere harmless delusions or much more? A knowledge and attitude cross-sectional study among the general public residing in Jordan

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0243264 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. e0243264

Author(s):

Malik Sallam ◽

Deema Dababseh ◽

Alaa Yaseen ◽

Ayat Al-Haidar ◽

Duaa Taim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Public ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Anxiety Level ◽

Accurate Information ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Monthly Income ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

History Of

Since the emergence of the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its spread as a pandemic, media was teeming with misinformation that led to psychologic, social and economic consequences among the global public. Probing knowledge and anxiety regarding this novel infectious disease is necessary to identify gaps in knowledge and sources of misinformation which can help public health efforts to design and implement more focused interventional measures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and effects of misinformation about COVID-19 on anxiety level among the general public residing in Jordan. This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online-based questionnaire that took place in April 2020, which targeted people residing in Jordan, aged 18 and above. The questionnaire included items on the following: demographic characteristics of the participants, knowledge about COVID-19, anxiety level and misconceptions regarding the origin of the pandemic. The total number of participants included in final analysis was 3150. The study population was predominantly females (76.0%), with mean age of 31 years. The overall knowledge of COVID-19 was satisfactory. Older age, males, lower monthly income and educational levels, smoking and history of chronic disease were associated with perceiving COVID-19 as a very dangerous disease. Variables that were associated with a higher anxiety level during the pandemic included: lower monthly income and educational level, residence outside the capital (Amman) and history of smoking. Misinformation about the origin of the pandemic (being part of a conspiracy, biologic warfare and the 5G networks role) was also associated with higher anxiety levels. Social media platforms, TV and news releases were the most common sources of information about the pandemic. The study showed the potential harmful effects of misinformation on the general public and emphasized the need to meticulously deliver timely and accurate information about the pandemic to lessen the health, social and psychological impact of the disease.

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