scholarly journals Knowledge, Perception and Attitude of the Undergraduate Healthcare Students Relative to COVID-19 Infection at a Teaching Institute of Karachi

Author(s):  
Ata Ur Rehman ◽  
Kiran Khan ◽  
Jai Dev Maheshwari ◽  
Muhammad Aslam Bhatti ◽  
. Kainat ◽  
...  

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Efforts are being made all over the world to raise awareness in order to prevent the disease from spreading. The purpose of this study was to assess undergraduate healthcare students' attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of COVID-19 disease. We conducted a cross- sectional survey in which a questionnaire with 12 questions was transformed online on Google forms and distributed online to healthcare students. Data was collected between May and June of 2021. The convenience sampling technique was used, resulting in a sample size of 926 people. A total of 926 individual questionnaires were evaluated. The findings revealed that the majority of participants learned about COVID-19 through social media and electronic media, which was the most common source of information. The majority of participants stated that older and middle-aged people are more likely to be affected. The protective measure against symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID 19 is N95 and surgical masks, as well as sanitization. Half of the participants believe that COVID 19 is a bioweapon, and that it affects all religious groups equally. In general, undergraduate healthcare students had a fair understanding of the disease and a favorable attitude toward preventive measures. The government and the public are taking effective measures to combat disease spread; however, there is still a need for additional awareness campaigns and knowledge of safe interventions to combat disease spread.

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sammina Mahmood ◽  
Tariq Hussain ◽  
Faiq Mahmood ◽  
Mehmood Ahmad ◽  
Arfa Majeed ◽  
...  

The World Health Organization has acknowledged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease as a pandemic. Efforts are being made all over the world to raise awareness to prevent the spread of the disease. The goal of this study was to assess the attitude, perception, and knowledge of Pakistani people toward COVID-19 disease. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in which a questionnaire of 17 questions was transformed online on Google forms and was sent to random individuals online. A total of 1,000 questionnaires from individuals throughout Pakistan were evaluated. The results revealed that 42.9% of the participants knew about COVID-19 through social media, the largest source of information. Most of the participants (48.3%) started working from home amid the lockdown; 39.9% of the participants reported that they wash their hands every hour, and 56.9% participants are using a surgical mask. About thermal scanners, 30.5% of the people answered they may be effective, and 46.0% of the people think COVID-19 is a bioweapon; 59% of the participants think everyone is susceptible, whereas 83.9% of the people recognize fever as a primary symptom; 65.2% of the people are practicing social distancing, whereas 85.1% of the people think social gatherings causes spread of the disease. In general, participants had a good knowledge about the disease and a positive attitude toward protective measures. The effective measures are being taken by the government and the public; still, there remains a need for further awareness campaigns and knowledge of safe interventions to combat the spread of disease.


Author(s):  
Devon L Barrett ◽  
Katharine W Rainer ◽  
Chao Zhang ◽  
Travis W Blalock

Background: Since the implementation of social distancing practices during the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic there have been a myriad of definitions for ‘social distancing.’ The objective of this study was to determine students’ awareness of the various definitions of social distancing, how strictly they adhered to social distancing guidelines, and how they perceived the importance of various social distancing practices.  Methods: This cross-sectional survey was distributed via email to students at Emory-affiliated graduate schools, including the Medical, Nursing, and Public Health Schools. Results: Of the 2,453 recipients of the survey, 415 students responded (16.9% response rate). The majority of respondents were medical students (n=225, 55.6%). Of the respondents, 357 noted that they “frequently” or “always” abided by social distancing. The most common definition of social distancing with which respondents were familiar was the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s (n=276 of 369 responses, 74.8%). There were significant differences across groups  when grouping students by the definition of social distancing that they were aware of, the social distancing guideline they most closely followed, and their school of attendance regarding the importance of specific social distancing examples (p<0.05 for each). Conclusions: A survey of healthcare students identified differences in the importance of social distancing practices based on the definition of social distancing that they were aware of. The results of this study underscore the importance of having unified definitions of public health messaging, which ultimately may impact disease spread.


Author(s):  
Allison Brown ◽  
Aliya Kassam ◽  
Mike Paget ◽  
Kenneth Blades ◽  
Megan Mercia ◽  
...  

Background: The evidence surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on medical learners remains anecdotal and highly speculative despite the anticipated impact and potential consequences of the current pandemic on medical training. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent that COVID-19 initially impacted medical learners around the world and examine global trends and patterns across geographic regions and levels of training. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of medical learners was conducted between March 25–June 14, 2020, shortly after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Results: 6492 learners completed the survey from 140 countries. Most medical schools removed learners from the clinical environment and adopted online learning, but students reported concerns about the quality of their learning, training progression, and milestone fulfillment. Residents reported they could be better utilized and expressed concerns about their career timeline. Trainees generally felt under-utilized and wanted to be engaged clinically in meaningful ways; however, some felt that contributing to healthcare during a pandemic was beyond the scope of a learner. Significant differences were detected between levels of training and geographic regions for satisfaction with organizational responses as well as the impact of COVID-19 learner wellness and state-trait anxiety. Conclusions: The disruption to the status quo of medical education is perceived by learners across all levels and geographic regions to have negatively affected their training and well-being, particularly amongst postgraduate trainees. These results provide initial empirical insights into the areas that warrant future research as well as consideration for current and future policy planning.


Author(s):  
E. K. Mgbe ◽  
C. G. Mgbe ◽  
S. N. Ezeofor ◽  
J. F. Etiki

Background: The world is experiencing a global corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic. As of 9th June 2020, over 7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and more than 400,000 deaths had been reported in more than 30 countries of the world according to World Health Organization. Aim: We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and vulnerability perception of Enugu state residents during the coronavirus outbreak in order to facilitate better health care outcomes. Methodology: A prospective Web-based cross-sectional survey was designed for this study which was conducted in March 2020 among Enugu state residents. The obtained data were coded, validated, and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences SPSS software, version 24. Descriptive analysis was applied to calculate the frequencies and proportions and Chi-Square Test was also used. A preliminary phase was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaire before its use.  Results: The study showed that significant number (99.6%) of the respondents had heard about Covid-19 and the most stated source of knowledge was social media (57.6%), followed by Newspaper and television shows (50.2%) while the least was from General Practitioner (GP) (8.9%). There was over 75% agreement with, and practice, of all known covid precautionary measures and less than 35% responses for wrong claims and practices about covid -19. Conclusion: The overall knowledge, attitude, and perception are high in Enugu state population although few still has background combined superstitious believes. Social media and internet are the highest used facility for acquisition of knowledge and information in Enugu, Nigeria.


BioMedica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2S) ◽  
pp. 265-269
Author(s):  
Shamaila Hassnain ◽  
Naureen Omar

<p><strong>Background and Objective:</strong> Coronavirus induced disease (COVID-19) is affecting people all around the world. The rising number of deaths due to COVID-19 is not only harassing people but also causing strong emotions in adults as well as in children due to anxiety, fear and stress. The objective of this study was to assess the fears, anxiety and stress due to COVID-19 pandemic and related issues among the apprentices at various levels in different parts of world. <strong>Methods: </strong>It was a cross sectional survey design to assess the students/trainee&rsquo;s immediate psychological response during COVID-19 outbreak by using an anonymous online questionnaire. A snowball sampling technique was conducted focusing general public all around the world from 3rd April 2020 till 7th April 2020. A total of N=354 participants filled the form completely. The structured questionnaire collected information on demographic data and psychological aspect of this outbreak, including extreme fear and uncertainty. <strong>Results:</strong> A total of N = 354 participants completed the questionnaire; majority were from the age group of 21&ndash;30 years. Approximately 66.4% were females and 33.6% males. Participants from Asia were 83.6% while 9.9%, 3.4%, 2.8% and 1% from America/Canada, Europe, Africa and Australia respectively. Out of n = 354 participants 59.3% were relying on health professionals for authentic source of information regarding COVID-19 while 16.4%, 15% and 5.4% considered social media, television and World Health Organization (WHO) website respectively as their authentic guide. Out of the (n = 354) participants 80.5% were afraid about health status during COVID-19 most predominantly females (66.3%) (P = 0.000). A total of 65.8% participants felt agitated or irritated in this outbreak. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> COVID-19 lockdowns are affecting both physical and mental health of students and apprentices enrolled at different levels of education. Females are more affected and concerned to their loved ones and themselves. Working norms are being maintained and responsibilities are being fulfilled despite this grave situation.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (41) ◽  
pp. 4297-4306
Author(s):  
Jerlin Priya Lovelin Auguskani ◽  

Background/Objectives: Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been accepted as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in the month of March 2020. Globally many efforts have been made to inhibit the spread of the disease through various strategies to create public awareness and changing personal behaviors. According to WHO report as on 2nd of October 2020, the mortality was 34,079,542 and morbidity rate of 1,015,963. In Saudi Arabia, there are 335,578 positive cases of coronavirus, 4,823 deaths and 320,348 recovered from illness. Keeping this in view, the present study was conducted to understand the level of awareness, attitude and perception regarding prevention and control of COVID 19 among people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Quantitative research approach was adopted with Cross sectional descriptive research design. Data was collected through the online semi structured questionnaire. The questionnaire has four sections including demographic variable, awareness, attitude and perception. The analysis is based on 301 respondents from 13 regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Findings: COVID 19 outbreak threaten the life and wellbeing of people around the world. The study finding shows that the people of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have adequate awareness in various component of corona virus with positive attitude and good practices with regard to disease spread. Also, majority of young people mentioned that they attained awareness from social media, whereas the other age group mentioned as MOH as the major source of information. Hence, constant public educational campaign with various sources have added advantage with present outcome. Novelty: While COVID 19 outbreak threaten the life and wellbeing of people around the world, it’s vital to constantly create awareness in cause, spread, treatment and prevention to control its impact further. Keywords: COVID 19; awareness; attitude; practice; Coronavirus


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1627
Author(s):  
Adil Abalkhail ◽  
Ilias Mahmud ◽  
Fahad A. Alhumaydhi ◽  
Thamer Alslamah ◽  
Ameen S. S. Alwashmi ◽  
...  

Hand hygiene is among the most important factors of infection control in healthcare settings. Healthcare workers are the primary source of hospital-acquired infection. We assessed the current state of hand hygiene knowledge, perception, and practice among the healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, we used the hand hygiene knowledge and perception questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Knowledge and perceptions were classified into good (80–100%), moderate (60–79%), and poor (<60% score). The majority of the healthcare workers had moderate knowledge (57.8%) and perception (73.4%) of hand hygiene. Males were less likely to have moderate/good knowledge compared to females (OR: 0.52, p < 0.05). Private healthcare workers were less likely (OR: 0.33, p < 0.01) to have moderate/good perceptions compared to the government healthcare workers. Healthcare workers who received training on hand hygiene were more likely to have good/moderate perception (OR: 3.2, p < 0.05) and to routinely use alcohol-based hand rubs (OR: 3.8, p < 0.05) than the ones without such training. Physicians are more likely (OR: 4.9, p < 0.05) to routinely use alcohol-based hand rubs than technicians. Our research highlighted gaps in hand hygiene knowledge, perception and practice among healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia and the importance of training in this regard.


Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 759
Author(s):  
Mikaela Michaelidou ◽  
Spyridon A. Karageorgos ◽  
Constantinos Tsioutis

We aimed to assess the knowledge and understanding of antibiotic use and resistance in the general population of Cyprus, in order to inform future antibiotic awareness campaigns with local evidence. Cross-sectional survey following the methodology of the “Antibiotic resistance: Multi-country public awareness survey” of the World Health Organization, during December 2019–January 2020. A total of 614 respondents participated: 64.3% were female and most were aged 35–44 years (33.2%) or 25–34 years (31.8%). One-third had used antibiotics >1 year ago and 91.6% reported receiving advice on appropriate use from a medical professional. Despite high awareness on correct use of antibiotics, lack of knowledge was noted for specific indications, where approximately one-third believed that viral infections respond to antibiotics and 70.7% lack understanding of how antibiotic resistance develops. Higher education graduates exhibited significantly higher knowledge rates. As high as 72.3% were informed about “antibiotic resistant bacteria” from healthcare professionals or social media. Most agreed on the usefulness of most suggested actions to address antibiotic resistance, with higher proportions acknowledging the role of prescribers. Up to 47% could not identify their role in decreasing antibiotic resistance. Our study provides local evidence to inform future efforts in a country characterized by high antibiotic consumption rates.


Medicina ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miko ◽  
Costache ◽  
Colosi ◽  
Neculicioiu ◽  
Colosi

Background and objectives: Health systems all over the world are confronted with an alarming rise of cases in which individuals hesitate, delay, and even refuse vaccination, despite availability of quality vaccine services. In order to mitigate and combat this phenomenon, which are now defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as vaccine hesitancy (VH), we must first understand the factors that lead to its occurrence in an era characterized by wide access to safe and effective vaccines. To achieve this, we conducted field testing of the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS), as it was developed by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts Working Group (SAGE WG), in Cluj-Napoca city, Cluj County, Romania. The scale is designed to quantify VH prevalence in a population, establish which vaccines generate the highest percentage of hesitancy, and allow a qualitative assessment of the individual’s reasons for hesitance. Materials and Methods: We conducted an observational cross-sectional survey, which was comprised of descriptive, analytical, and qualitative elements regarding VH. The necessary sample size was 452 individuals. The VHS and Matrix of Determinants (recommended by SAGE WG) for reasons people gave to justify their hesitance, was interpreted by qualitative thematic analysis (QTA) to ensure the validity and reliability in detecting hesitancy across various cultural settings and permit global comparisons. Results: We found a VH of 30.3% and 11.7% of parents reported refusing to vaccinate their child. Among the VH responders, the varicella vaccine generated 35% hesitancy, measles vaccine 27.7%, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 24.1%, and mumps vaccine 23.4%, respectively. The QTA values for percent agreement ranged from 91% to 100%. Cohen’s Kappa values ranged from 0.45 to 0.95. Contextual influences identified for VH were "media," "leaders and lobbies," and "perception of the pharmaceutical industry." Individual and group influences for VH were "beliefs," "knowledge," and "risk/benefits (perceived).” Vaccine and vaccination specific issues for VH were "risk/benefit (rational)" and "health care practitioners (trustworthiness, competence).” Conclusions: One-third of the investigated population had expressed VH, and a further one-third of these had refused a vaccine for their child. Chicken Pox, Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), and HPV vaccines generated the most hesitation. Negative information from the media was the most frequently evoked reason for VH.


2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 457-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saoirse Nic Gabhainn ◽  
Geraldine Nolan ◽  
Cecily Kelleher ◽  
Sharon Friel

AbstractObjective:The aim of this study was to identify differences in food habits and lifestyle behaviours by dieting status among young people in Ireland.Design:Cross-sectional survey. Participants responded to a self-completion questionnaire designed by researchers on the World Health Organization's collaborative study – Health Behaviour in School Aged Children. Pupils were selected by school and classroom and the sample was stratified to be representative of the geographical distribution of school students in Ireland.Setting:Data were collected by teachers from school pupils in their classrooms.Subjects:Data were collected from 187 schools which included 8497 pupils (51% girls) aged 9–17 years.Results:While a minority of pupils (12% of girls, 4% of boys) reported that they were on a diet to lose weight, a substantial proportion (28% of girls, 18% of boys) said that they should be on a diet. Dieters reported consuming unhealthy foods less frequently than non-dieters, but did not report an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables. Rather, some categories of dieters reported higher levels of coffee and tobacco use and lower exercise levels than non-dieters.Conclusions:The results could indicate substitution of unhealthy foods by other unhealthy behaviours as opposed to an increased consumption of healthier foodstuffs, and suggest that both smoking and exercise need to be addressed alongside nutrition in youth health promotion.


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