Knowledge, socio-cognitive perceptions and the practice of hand hygiene and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study of UK university students

Abstract Background During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and hand hygiene have been the primary means of reducing transmission in the absence of effective treatments or vaccines, but understanding of their determinants is limited. This study aimed to investigate knowledge and socio-cognitive perceptions, and their associations with such protective behaviours, in UK university students. Methods A cross-sectional online survey of 293 students was undertaken on 13 May 2020. Survey questions addressed demographics, knowledge of the disease and effectiveness of the protective measures, risk perception, socio-cognitive perceptions (e.g. attitude, social support, and self-efficacy), habit, time factors and trust, as well as the hand hygiene and social distancing behaviours. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the strongest associations of potential determinants with behaviour. Results Participants reported high levels of social distancing with 88.9% answering “Mostly” or “Always” for every activity, but only 42.0% reporting the same for all hand hygiene activities. Knowledge of the effectiveness of each activity in preventing transmission was high, with 90.7% and 93.5% respectively identifying at least 7 of 8 hand hygiene or 9 of 10 social distancing activities correctly. Habit (β = 0.39, p = 0.001) and time factors (β = 0.28, p = 0.001) were the greatest contributors to unique variance in hand hygiene behaviour, followed by ethnicity (β = − 0.13, p = 0.014) and risk perception (β = 0.13, p = 0.016). For social distancing behaviour, the determinants were self-efficacy (β = 0.25, p < 0.001), perceived advantages (β = 0.15, p = 0.022), trust in policy (β = 0.14, p = 0.026) and gender (β = − 0.14, p = 0.016). Regression models explained 40% hand hygiene and 25% social distancing variance. Conclusions This study indicated that communications about effectiveness of hand hygiene and social distancing behaviours had been effective in terms of knowledge acquisition. However, in the light of likely second waves of COVID-19, attention to maintaining social distancing behaviour and improving hand hygiene behaviour may need to address more difficult areas of changing habits, overcoming time factors and building trust, as well as interventions to increase self-efficacy and address risk perception concerns.

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Knowledge, socio-cognitive perceptions and the practice of hand hygiene and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study of UK university students

10.21203/rs.3.rs-60033/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Christine Barrett ◽

Kei Long Cheung

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Hand Hygiene ◽

University Students ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Time Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Hygiene Behaviour

Abstract BackgroundDuring the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and hand hygiene have been the primary means of reducing transmission in the absence of effective treatments or vaccines, but understanding of their determinants is limited. This study aimed to investigate knowledge and socio-cognitive perceptions, and their associations with such protective behaviours, in UK university students. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey of 293 students was undertaken on 13 May 2020. Survey questions addressed demographics, knowledge of the disease and effectiveness of the protective measures, risk perception, socio-cognitive perceptions (e.g. attitude, social support, and self-efficacy), habit, time factors and trust, as well as the hand hygiene and social distancing behaviours. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the strongest associations of potential determinants with behaviour.ResultsParticipants reported high levels of social distancing with 88.9 % answering “Mostly” or “Always” for every activity, but only 42.0% reporting the same for all hand hygiene activities. Knowledge of the effectiveness of each activity in preventing transmission was high, with 90.7% and 93.5% respectively identifying at least 7 of 8 hand hygiene or 9 of 10 social distancing activities correctly. Habit (β = 0.39, p =0.001) and time factors (β = 0.28, p =0.001) were the greatest contributors to unique variance in hand hygiene behaviour, followed by ethnicity (β = -0.13, p =0.014) and risk perception (β = 0.13, p = 0.016). For social distancing behaviour, the determinants were self-efficacy (β = 0.25, p <0.001), perceived advantages (β = 0.15, p = 0.022), trust in policy (β = 0.14, p = 0.026) and gender (β = -0.14, p = 0.016). Regression models explained 40% hand hygiene and 25% social distancing variance.ConclusionsThis study indicated that communications about effectiveness of hand hygiene and social distancing behaviours had been effective in terms of knowledge acquisition. However, in the light of likely second waves of COVID-19, attention to maintaining social distancing behaviour and improving hand hygiene behaviour may need to address more difficult areas of changing habits, overcoming time factors and building trust, as well as interventions to increase self-efficacy and address risk perception concerns.

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Knowledge, Socio-cognitive Perceptions and the Practice of Hand Hygiene and Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study of UK University Students

10.21203/rs.3.rs-60033/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Christine Barrett ◽

Kei Long Cheung

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Hand Hygiene ◽

University Students ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Time Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Hygiene Behaviour

Abstract BackgroundDuring the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and hand hygiene have been the primary means of reducing transmission in the absence of effective treatments or vaccines, but understanding of their determinants is limited. This study aimed to investigate knowledge and socio-cognitive perceptions, and their associations with such protective behaviours, in UK university students. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey of 293 students was undertaken on 13 May 2020. Survey questions addressed demographics, knowledge of the disease and effectiveness of the protective measures, risk perception, socio-cognitive perceptions (e.g. attitude, social support, and self-efficacy), habit, time factors and trust, as well as the hand hygiene and social distancing behaviours. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the strongest associations of potential determinants with behaviour.ResultsParticipants reported high levels of social distancing with 88.9 % answering “Mostly” or “Always” for every activity, but only 42.0% reporting the same for all hand hygiene activities. Knowledge of the effectiveness of each activity in preventing transmission was high, with 90.7% and 93.5% respectively identifying at least 7 of 8 hand hygiene or 9 of 10 social distancing activities correctly. Habit (β = 0.39, p <0.001) and time factors (β = 0.28, p <0.001) were the greatest contributors to unique variance in hand hygiene behaviour, followed by ethnicity (β = -0.13, p =0.014) and risk perception (β = 0.13, p = 0.016). For social distancing behaviour, the determinants were self-efficacy (β = 0.25, p <0.001), perceived advantages (β = 0.15, p = 0.022), trust in policy (β = 0.14, p = 0.026) and gender (β = -0.14, p = 0.016). Regression models explained 40% hand hygiene and 25% social distancing variance.ConclusionsThis study indicated that communications about effectiveness of hand hygiene and social distancing behaviours had been effective in terms of knowledge acquisition. However, in the light of likely second waves of COVID-19, attention to maintaining social distancing behaviour and improving hand hygiene behaviour may need to address more difficult areas of changing habits, overcoming time factors and building trust, as well as interventions to increase self-efficacy and address risk perception concerns.

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Facilitating Informed Decision Making: Determinants of University Students’ COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake

10.31234/osf.io/u46bm ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tugce Varol ◽

Francine Schneider ◽

Ilse Mesters ◽

Robert A.C. Ruiter ◽

Gerjo Kok ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Risk Perception ◽

University Students ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Informed Decision ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Informed Decision Making ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Important Target

Objective: Although several COVID-19 vaccines are available, the current challenge is achieving high vaccine uptake. We aimed to explore university students’ intention to get vaccinated and select the most relevant determinants/beliefs to facilitate informed decision-making around COVID-19 vaccine uptake.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey with students (N = 434) from Maastricht University was conducted in March 2021. The most relevant determinants/beliefs of students’ COVID-19 vaccine intention (i.e., determinants linked to vaccination intention, and with enough potential for change) were visualized using CIBER plots. Results: Students’ intention to get the COVID-19 vaccine is high (80 %). Concerns about safety and side effects of the vaccine and trust in government, quality control, and the pharmaceutical industry are identified as the most relevant determinants of vaccine intention. Other predictors are risk perception, attitude, perceived norm, and self-efficacy beliefs. Conclusion: Our study identified several predictors of COVID-19 vaccine intention (e.g., safety, trust, risk perception, etc.) and helped to select the most relevant determinants/beliefs to target in an intervention to maximize the COVID-19 uptake. Where concerns and trust related to the COVID-19 vaccine are the most important target for future interventions, other determinants that were already positive (i.e., risk perception, attitudes, perceived norms, and self-efficacy) could be further confirmed.

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Selecting relevant and changeable determinants and underlying beliefs of university students’ adherence to COVID-19-guidelines and translating the findings into a small intervention

10.31234/osf.io/rs5yu ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tugce Varol ◽

Rik Crutzen ◽

Francine Schneider ◽

Ilse Mesters ◽

Robert A.C. Ruiter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

University Students ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Adherence Behavior ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adherence To Guidelines ◽

Behavioral Determinants ◽

Improvement Interventions ◽

Prevention Guidelines

Background: When reopening universities in times of COVID-19, students still have to adhere to COVID-19 behavioral guidelines. We explored what behavioral determinants (and underlying beliefs) related to the adherence to guidelines are both relevant and changeable, as input for future interventions.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted (Oct-Nov 2020), identifying behavioral determinants (and underlying beliefs) of university students’ adherence to COVID-19-guidelines, including keeping 1.5m distance, getting tested, and isolating (N = 255).Results: Attitude, perceived norm, self-efficacy, and several beliefs (e.g., risk perception beliefs ‘I am not afraid because I am young’; attitudinal beliefs, e.g., ‘I feel responsible for telling people to adhere to guidelines’; self-efficacy beliefs, e.g., ‘COVID-19-prevention guidelines are difficult to adhere to’) were strongly associated with intention to adhere to guidelines, and for those beliefs there was room for improvement, making them suitable as possible intervention targets.Conclusions: Students mostly adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, but there is room for improvement. Interventions need to enhance students’ adherence behavior by targeting the most relevant determinants as identified in this study. Based on these findings, a small intervention was introduced targeting the determinants of students’ adherence to guidelines.

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Diabetes knowledge, risk perception, and quality of life among South Asian caregivers in young adulthood

BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care ◽

10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001268 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. e001268

Author(s):

Angela Koipuram ◽

Sandra Carroll ◽

Zubin Punthakee ◽

Diana Sherifali

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Risk Perception ◽

South Asian ◽

Online Survey ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Design And Methods

IntroductionPersons of South Asian descent have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The management of T2DM in the South Asian community has required the support of adult children, potentially impacting the quality of life, diabetes-related knowledge, and risk perception among these caregivers.Research design and methodsTo investigate diabetes-related knowledge, quality of life, risk perception, and actual risk of developing diabetes among South Asian young adults whose parents are living with T2DM. A cross-sectional study was conducted (n=150). An online survey was administered. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference in diabetes-related knowledge between males and females (p<0.001). Males (in comparison to females) had a lower risk perception of developing diabetes (p=0.06). Further, risk perception and diabetes-related knowledge were positively associated with caregiver’s physical health (p=0.002).ConclusionFindings highlight the importance of providing gender-specific and culturally tailored diabetes educational interventions.

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Assessment of correlates of hand hygiene compliance among final year medical students: a cross-sectional study in the Netherlands

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029484 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. e029484

Author(s):

Vicki Erasmus ◽

Suzie Otto ◽

Emmely De Roos ◽

Rianne van Eijsden ◽

Margreet C Vos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Medical Students ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Hand Hygiene ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Hand Hygiene Compliance ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Factual Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hygiene Compliance

ObjectivesTo identify the factors that influence the hand hygiene compliance of final year medical students, using a theoretical behavioural framework.DesignCross-sectional survey assessing self-reported compliance and its behavioural correlates.SettingInternships of medical students in the Netherlands.Participants322 medical students of the Erasmus Medical Center were recruited over a period of 12 months during the Public Health internship, which is the final compulsory internship after an 18-month rotation schedule in all major specialities.Primary and secondary outcome measuresBehavioural factors influencing compliance to hand hygiene guidelines were measured by means of a questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Social Ecological Models. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the effect of including attitudes, social norms, self-efficacy, knowledge, risk perception and habit on hand hygiene compliance.ResultsWe included 313 students in the analysis (response rate 97%). The behavioural model explained 40% of the variance in self-reported compliance (adjusted R2=0.40). Hand hygiene compliance was strongly influenced by attitudes (perceived outcomes of preventive actions), self-efficacy (perception of the ability to perform hand hygiene at the clinical ward) and habit, but was not associated with knowledge and risk perception.ConclusionsTargeting medical students’ behaviour should focus on the empowerment of these juniors and provide them with evidence on the health benefits of prevention, rather than increasing their factual knowledge of procedures. Clinical teaching environments could help them form good patient safety habits during this vital phase of their career.

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Recreational physical activity context and type preferences among male and female Emirati university students

International Health ◽

10.1093/inthealth/ihz002 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 507-512 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

C B Doyle ◽

A Khan ◽

N W Burton

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

University Students ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Future Research ◽

Recreational Physical Activity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Activity Types ◽

Competitive Activities

Abstract Background This study assessed recreational physical activity type and context preferences of Emirati university students. Method This was a cross-sectional study in which a stratified random sample (n=628) (female 69.1%, male 30.9% mean age 20.79±3.81 y) completed an online survey. Relationships between gender and preferences were assessed using regression analysis, adjusted for body mass index and age. Results Activities with a fun element were the most preferred context (87.1%). Walking (66.7%) and swimming (61.7%) were the most preferred activity types. Males had significantly higher odds of preferring competitive activities, and activity types such as football, fitness/weights and jogging. Females had significantly higher odds of preferring activities with people of the same gender, with supervision and done at home, and activity types such as walking, aerobics, cycling, squash and yoga. Conclusion These results can inform physical activity planning for university students in the United Arab Emirates. Fun activity opportunities involving walking or swimming and in the local neighbourhood may be popular for both males and females. Future research could explore uptake and maintenance of activity options, based on preferred activity attributes.

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PROTECTIVE BEHAVIOR AGAINST COVID-19 AMONG VIETNAMESE PEOPLE IN THE SOCIAL DISTANCING CAMPAIGN A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

10.31219/osf.io/5sxgp ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

AISDL

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Protective Behavior ◽

Protective Behaviors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Precautionary Measures ◽

Gender Knowledge

In the global fight against the rapid spread of COVID-19, a variety of unprecedented preventive measures have been implemented across the globe, as well as in Vietnam. How Vietnamese people respond to threats to their health and life remains unclear. For this reason, the current study aims to examine Vietnamese people’s protective behavior and its factors. Based on 1,798 online survey respondents’ data collected on the last three days of the nationwide social distancing campaign in mid-April, it is found that gender, knowledge of COVID-19 and preventive measures, and attitudes towards the COVID-19 prevention policies are the three main factors of participants’ protective behaviors. We also find that males are less likely than females to adopt precautionary measures. People who are knowledgeable about COVID-19 may have inappropriate practices towards it. Further research is needed to examine other determinants of protective behaviors to provide more useful information for authorities, public health policy-makers, and healthcare workers to deliver the best practices to control COVID-19 in our country.

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Gaps in Knowledge About SARS-CoV-2 & COVID-19 Among University Students Are Associated With Negative Attitudes Toward People With COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in Cyprus

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.758030 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Nicos Middleton ◽

Constantinos Tsioutis ◽

Ourania Kolokotroni ◽

Alexandros Heraclides ◽

Panagiotis Theodosis-Nobelos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Doctoral Students ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Online Survey ◽

Social Activity ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Control Measures ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Negative Attitudes

University students represent a highly active group in terms of their social activity in the community and in the propagation of information on social media. We aimed to map the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of University students in Cyprus about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to guide targeted future measures and information campaigns. We used a cross-sectional online survey targeting all students in conventional, not distance-learning, programs in five major universities in the Republic of Cyprus. Students were invited to participate through the respective Studies and Student Welfare Office of each institution. The survey was made available in English and Greek on REDCap. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The questionnaire was developed based on a consensus to cover the main factual information directed by official channels toward the general public in Cyprus at the time of the survey. In addition to sociodemographic information (N = 8), the self-administered questionnaire consisted of 19 questions, assessing the knowledge regarding the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, infection prevention and control measures (N = 10), perceptions related to COVID-19, for instance, whether strict travel measures are necessary (N = 4), and attitudes toward a hypothetical person infected (N = 2). Furthermore, participants were asked to provide their own assessment of their knowledge about COVID-19 and specifically with regard to the main symptoms and ways of transmission (N = 3). The number of students who completed the survey was 3,641 (41% studying Health/Life Sciences). Amongst them, 68.8% responded correctly to at least 60% of knowledge-related questions. Misconceptions were identified in 30%. Only 29.1% expressed a positive attitude toward a hypothetical person with COVID-19 without projecting judgment (9.2%) or blame (38%). Odds of expressing a positive attitude increased by 18% (95% CI 13–24%; p < 0.001) per unit increase in knowledge. Postgraduate level education was predictive of better knowledge (odds ratio (OR) 1.81; 95% CI 1.34–2.46; p < 0.001 among doctoral students] and positive attitude [OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.01–1.80; p = 0.04). In this study, we show that specific knowledge gaps and misconceptions exist among University students about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and their prevalence is associated with negative attitudes toward people with COVID-19. Our findings highlight the integrated nature of knowledge and attitude and suggest that improvements to the former could contribute to improvements in the latter.

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