Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Coronavirus and Associated Anxiety Symptoms Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh

Knowledge and attitude towards home quarantine instructions and associations with history of Covid-19 infection in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION

Although COVID-19 has entered the endemic phase, individuals infected with COVID-19 are required to adhere to home quarantine measures. By exploring the public's knowledge and attitude towards recommended home quarantine measures, their readiness in containing potential COVID-19 outbreak can be determined. This study aimed to assess the public knowledge and attitude towards home quarantine instructions and their association with history of COVID-19 infections.

METHODS

This was a web-based cross-sectional study conducted among the public in Malaysia between August to October 2022. All Malaysian adults over 18 years of age were included. Knowledge on home quarantine instructions and COVID-19 warning signs were measured using "True," "False," or "I'm not sure", while attitude towards home quarantine instructions was measured using a five-point Likert Scale. The questionnaire was initially constructed in English and then translated into the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. Face and content validation were performed. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was found to be satisfactory.

RESULTS

1,036 respondents were analyzed, comprised mostly of females (743, 71.6%) with a history of COVID-19 (673, 64.9%). In the knowledge domain, more than 80% of the respondents answered 9 out of 11 home quarantine instructions statements correctly. 457 (44.1%) were unaware or unsure about the minimum distance of the infected individual's bed from the rest of the occupants in a shared bedroom. The respondents reported relatively weaker knowledge in identifying uncommon warning signs of COVID-19 deterioration, including anuria (162, 44.5%), ingestion problems (191, 52.5%), and immobility (195, 53.6%). In the attitude domain, more than 90% of respondents answered correctly in 8 out of 9 questions. Respondents with a previous history of COVID-19 infections had better knowledge than COVID-19 infection-naïve individuals towards both home quarantine instructions and COVID-19 warning signs.

CONCLUSION

Most respondents had good knowledge and attitude towards home quarantine instructions, with those previously infected with COVID-19 showing greater awareness of uncommon warning signs. However, there was a notable lack of awareness regarding physical distancing within shared rooms, appropriate disinfectant use and mobility limitation within the household. This study highlights the knowledge gaps to be improved in future educational campaigns.

Factors affecting knowledge, attitude, and practice of COVID-19: A study among undergraduate university students in Bangladesh

The global expansion of the COVID-19 outbreak is one of the worst disasters the world has faced in recent decades. This study explored various factors of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding COVID-19 among Bangladeshi undergraduate university students. In addition, we also look at how COVID-19 based knowledge, attitude, and practice influence each other. Using a random sampling technique and a self-administered structured questionnaire survey, this study collected data from 167 private university students in Bangladesh from 1st October to 30th October 2020. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (including frequencies, percentages, and means), binary logistic regression, bivariate regression analysis, and factor analysis. The findings suggest that most of the students learned about COVID-19 from various sources, including news media (TV, radio, newspapers, etc.), international organizations (WHO, UN, etc.), various government programs, or from their friends, family members, or neighbors. Most of the students were concerned about becoming sick, keeping social distance, and family members' job insecurity, followed by the university shutdown and the subsequent quarantine. Many students believe Bangladesh's media, government, medical sector, and religious organizations played a significant role during COVID-19. Binary logistic regression demonstrates that students' gender, department, and residency significantly explained their COVID-19 knowledge. In addition, students' attitudes significantly vary with their religion and place of residence. Students' departments and semesters found significant in explaining their practice regarding COVID-19. Moreover, factor analysis results also identified several crucial factors in explaining students' overall knowledge, attitude, and practice of COVID-19. Finally, we found a statistically significant relationship between knowledge, attitude, and practice.

An Important Strategy to Improve Adolescent Health Literacy: COVID-19 Modules in High School in Indonesia

OBJECTIVES

During the second coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surge, cases increased sharply due to low awareness and compliance with measures to limit disease spread. Health literacy (HL) is an important component of public health initiatives, and schools are potential sources of health education to increase HL via the presentation of COVID-19 educational modules.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved an online questionnaire administered to students from 5 high schools in Surabaya and Sidoarjo, Indonesia, 6-7 weeks after the start of government-issued directives restricting public gatherings. We collected data on each respondent's age, gender, parental education, and socioeconomic variables. HL was determined by the Health Literacy Measure for Adolescents. We additionally measured their attitudes and behaviors related to preventing the spread of COVID-19. The students were asked if they watched the COVID-19 module at school, their feelings about vaccination, and preferred online sources of COVID-19-related information.

RESULTS

Most of the 432 respondents had viewed COVID-19 modules at school. Module exposure was associated with significantly higher total and domain-specific HL and more positive attitudes toward government-issued COVID-19 restrictions on travel and public gatherings (p<0.05). However, behaviors to prevent COVID-19 spread and vaccine acceptance were not associated with module exposure. Most students chose social media as their source of COVID-19-related information.

CONCLUSIONS

Schools can provide information to increase adolescents' HL and the public's support for health initiatives to prevent or limit the spread of COVID-19.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of university students towards monkeypox in Bangladesh

The recent outbreak of viral zoonotic disease-monkeypox-caused by the monkeypox virus, has infected many people worldwide. This study aims to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) concerning monkeypox among university students in Bangladesh. Data were collected using purposive snowball sampling from 887 university students through an online survey using Google Form. The participants were mostly in their twenties (M = 22.33 [SD 2.01] years), and they spent, on average, 2.59 [SD 1.91] hours/day on electronic and social media. The participants generally showed moderate knowledge (39.5%), low attitude (25.1%), and moderate practice (48.6%) toward monkeypox, with 47.6% having had a moderate KAP score. Findings further showed that personal attributes of university students, i.e., age, sex, year of schooling, residence, living status, geographical distribution, e.g., division, were statistically and significantly associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding monkeypox and overall KAP score. It is also apparent that health status, susceptibility to monkeypox, and exposure to social media were the most common factors significantly associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding monkeypox and overall KAP score. The current study's findings underscore the need for developing appropriate information, education, and communication (IEC) materials and their dissemination, which could play an important role in reducing the risk of monkeypox and similar other infectious diseases, particularly among students in Bangladesh.

Fear of COVID-19: the mediation role between the COVID-19 diagnosis and KAP in Spanish university students

BACKGROUND

Although health public services recommend prevention strategies for COVID-19 some of these recommendations have not been taken seriously by young people. Understanding why some people comply with these recommendations and others do not seem to be crucial in helping public health services to predict behavior and compliance with rules, especially for young people. Previous studies suggest that knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) are useful to assess compliance with the preventive measures and public health policies. Being afraid has also been found to correlate with more engagement with preventive measures. This study aims to assess the KAP and fear of COVID-19 of Spanish university students and to understand the relation between diagnosis, KAP and the level of fear.

METHOD

Participants of this cross-sectional study were 598 college students (69.4% women) from different Spanish Universities. Data were collected for a month using an online questionnaire through Sphinx iQ2.

RESULTS

Levels of KAP among Spanish students were satisfactory and results suggest the presence of fear among them. More importantly, fear of COVID-19 mediated the impact of the diagnosis on the KAP.

CONCLUSIONS

Feeling fear seems to be the mechanism underlying the relationship between diagnosis and KAP. Diagnosis is associated with KAP when the diagnosis it is accompanied by measures of fear. KAP, diagnosis, or perceived fear of COVID must be taken together in consideration for health interventions and public health campaigns design.

Exploring media consumption and mental health among young adults during the second wave of COVID-19 in Bangladesh

Background

This study examined the association between media exposure and mental health during the second wave of lockdown among the general population of Bangladesh.

Methods

A total of 449 adult participants were enrolled in the study to evaluate their levels of exposure to total media, electronic media, and social media. Mental health was assessed using a 7-item generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scale. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to explore the relationships between media exposure levels and anxiety. The models included covariates such as sex, daily working hours, health problems, media distraction, and income from social media.

Results

The results showed that 44.5%, 39.2%, and 16.3% of participants reported low, medium, and high levels of exposure to different media during the COVID-19 period, respectively. Additionally, 96.4%, 2.7%, and 0.9% of participants had low, medium, and high levels of exposure to electronic media, respectively, and 89.1%, 10.5%, and 0.4% of participants had low, medium, and high levels of exposure to social media, respectively. The overall prevalence of anxiety was 25.38% among the respondents. Participants with high levels of total media exposure were significantly more likely to experience anxiety, with an odds ratio of 2.75 (95% CI = 1.40-5.14, p < 0.01). Females were 2.26 times more likely to experience anxiety than males (95% CI = 1.37-3.74, p < 0.01), and participants with health problems were also more likely to develop anxiety compared to those who did not.

Conclusion

Our results show a positive relationship between increased media exposure and anxiety levels, providing useful insights for both academics and public health practitioners.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices about COVID-19 pandemic: a bibliometric analysis

Background

In order to avoid high rates of COVID-19 infection, one of the main tasks that must be performed is to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about the virus. In this sense, Health Education is an essential tool for dealing with the virus. The aim of health education is to educate individuals through educational, motivational, skill development, and awareness techniques, and an understanding of the main needs of KAP is essential for this. Many KAP studies were published during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the aim of the present study was to analyze these publications through a bibliometric study.

Methods

A bibliometric analysis of the publications on KAP and COVID-19 was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection database. The RStudio Bibliometrix and VOSviewer packages were utilized to analyze the scientific production, authors, citations, countries, publishers, journals, research areas, and keywords.

Results

Of the 1,129 articles published, 777 were included in the study. The year with the most publications and citations was 2021. Three authors were underlined (all from Ethiopia), due to the number of articles published, the number of citations, and the collaboration networks established. As for the countries, most of the publications came from Saudi Arabia, while China obtained the most citations. PLOS One and Frontiers in Public Health published the most articles on the subject. The most frequent keywords were knowledge, attitudes, practices, and COVID-19. At the same time, others were identified based on the population group analyzed.

Conclusion

This is the first bibliometric study on KAP and COVID-19. The significant number of publications identified on KAP and its relationship to the COVID-19 pandemic, in the span of only 3 years, indicates the increased interest in this area. The study provides relevant information to researchers who are approaching this subject for the first time. It is a useful tool that can stimulate new studies and collaborations between researchers from different countries, areas and approaches. At the methodological level, a step-by-step guide is provided for future authors who wish to perform a bibliometric analysis.

Knowledge, attitudes and mental health of sub-Saharan African migrants living in Tunisia during COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic potentially impacted the mental health of migrants. Our objective was to measure the prevalence of psychological distress among a group of sub-Saharan African migrants living in Tunisia, and its association with knowledge about COVID-19. The Questionnaire of Knowledge towards COVID-19 (QK-COVID-19) was used to evaluate the level of Knowledge about COVID-19. The participants were asked about their attitudes for seeking information and healthcare services related to the pandemic using a multiple-choice questionnaire. The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-25)) was used to screen for anxiety and depression. A logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds of having psychological distress across levels of QK-COVID-19 score. Among the 133 participants, 34.6% (95% CI: 26.5, 42.67) had psychological distress, 91% were unemployed and 96% uninsured. Of the respondants, 20% had low QK-COVID-19 score , and 44.36% had medium score. The adjusted odds of psychological distress for those with high and medium QK-COVID-19 scores were respectively 3.9 (95% CI: 1.08, 14.13) and 6.39 (95% CI: 1.79, 22.9) times that of those with low scores. Screening and early treatment of anxiety and depression among migrants during outbreaks is an imperative. Further investigations of the determinants of mental health of sub-Saharan African migrants are needed.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of university students toward COVID-19 in Southern region, Afghanistan: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Successful implementation of preventive measures and level of awareness in particular among university students in Afghanistan could play a crucial role in spreading the information for better control of the ongoing pandemic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19 among Kandahar university students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study conducted among undergraduate students to investigate their KAP regarding COVID-19 from January to March, 2021. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire (socio-demographic characteristics, KAP questionnaire) by phone call interviews.

RESULTS

From 359 participants, 88.9% were males, 81.3% were single, 65.1% lived in urban areas, and more than 64% of the students were less than 23 years old. Overall, 86.6% of the study participants had adequate level of knowledge and 87.5% had positive attitudes toward COVID-19. Almost one-third of the participants had good practices regarding COVID-19. All KAP scores were higher in male students. Significant difference of good practice (p < 0.001) was observed among students who were in high socioeconomic status (SES) group. In univariate analysis, female sex (β: -0.75, p = 0.007) was negatively and watching television (β: 0.44; p = 0.014) was positively associated with knowledge score. However, in multivariate linear regression analysis, the knowledge score was significantly associated with age (β: -0.115; p = 0.004); attitude score was significantly associated with female sex (β: -2.776; p < 0.001) and radio use (β: -0.974; p = 0.031); and practice score was significantly associated with female sex (β: -3.704; p = 0.002) and urban area (β: 1.702; p = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

The overall knowledge and attitudes regarding COVID-19 among university students were desirable. Higher university year, young age, male sex and living in urban areas were significantly associated with good KAP regarding COVID-19. Good practices towards COVID-19 should be increased through awareness programs.

Mental Health Support in Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study and Recommendations for Practice

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the lives of many university students around the globe, including students at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Isolation, a sense of threat, and the transition to remote learning resulted in numerous, mainly psychological, negative consequences for students. The university aimed to provide students with effective assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The question now is whether it has succeeded or failed. This study demonstrates good practices in mental health support at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University during the pandemic and post-pandemic period. Methods: The study was conducted between October and December 2022. The case study method and purposive sampling were used in the study. A total of 19 participants took part in this study. Of the respondents, 16 were females, 3 were males. Ages ranged between 26 and 55 years. Results: Research has shown that the university provided students with various forms of mental health support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in the 2020/2021 academic year, students and university staff were provided with pedagogical, psychological, and/or psychotherapeutic consultations. Among the main problems reported by students and staff were anxiety, lowered mood, depressive conditions, failure to cope with stress, relationship problems at university, a spectrum of pandemic-related problems, life crises, and discrimination related to sexual orientation. Support was provided via web platforms, social networking websites, and by phone, directly and free of charge. Conclusions: The impact of the pandemic has exposed strengths and weaknesses in the management of the mental health support system at the university. It also showed new needs and directions of support. The university has new goals; one of the greatest is preparing students for the challenges of the future.

COVID-19: introduction of a new lifestyle and diet among the Malaysians

BACKGROUND

The stay-at-home conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly alter the Malaysian lifestyle, and all Malaysians faced difficulties adopting the new lifestyle. A hypothetico-deductive technique has been conducted in this study, to find out what kind of changes the COVID-19 has brought about in the behavior of Malaysians and how they are coping with the changing lifestyles. According to G* Power 3.1 sample size determination in Malaysia, the entire sample of 112 was sufficient to provide the value for the medium effect size for the computation of the F-tests and the findings were reliable (The Cronbach's alpha values were all above 0.70.). To calculate the mean of the lifestyle during COVID-19, the mean scores range between 1.00 and 5.00 marks indicating much reduced to much increased.

RESULTS

It seemed that the jobs traveling (mean 1.80) and outdoor sports time (mean = 1.94) were somewhat reduced. In contrast, indoor sports activities (mean = 3.01), online games (mean = 2.76), physical exercises (mean = 2.63), and the number of staycations (mean = 2.46) during the pandemic stayed the same. However, religious activities (mean = 3.73), body mass index (mean = 3.54), online shopping (mean = 3.90), sleeping time (mean = 3.43), amount of anxiety (mean = 3.38), amount of caffeine (mean = 3.15), medical consumption (mean = 3.10), watching movies (mean = 3.26), and watching drama series (mean = 3.37) during COVID-19 were somewhat increased. In addition, respondents' time spent on social media (mean = 4.27) and online meetings (mean = 4.37) during COVID-19 were much increased. We found no significant differences in the means of the dependent variables (lifestyle of COVID-19) among all demographic characteristics except age and employment status.

CONCLUSIONS

New behavioral changes bring new challenges. Malaysians should need to adopt some precautions to minimize the negative effect of new behavioral changes in post-COVID-19 life. The results will help policymakers to make the right decisions about improving the quality of life after COVID-19.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42269-023-00979-1.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of university students in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental well-being of students worldwide. There is a scarcity of information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19, including depression, anxiety and resilience among a sample of university students in the UAE.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from September to November 2021. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were used to assess depression, anxiety, and resilience. The COVID-19 impact was assessed using a list of questions.

RESULTS

Only, 798 students completed the survey and were analyzed for this study. Overall, 74.8% of the students were females, 91.2% were never married, and 66.3% were UAE-nationals. Based on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 cut-off scores (≥ 10), four out of ten of the students self-reported moderate to severe depression (40.9%) and anxiety (39.1%). Significantly higher mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found among students who were impacted by COVID-19 than those non-impacted (mean PHQ-9 = 9.51 ± 6.39 and 6.80 ± 6.34; p = 0.001, respectively) and (mean GAD-7 = 9.03 ± 6.00 and 8.54 ± 6.02; respectively, p < 0.001). Female students who were impacted by COVID-19 had statistically significant higher depression and anxiety scores (mean PHQ-9 of 9.14 ± 5.86 vs. 6.83 ± 6.25, respectively; p < 0.001) than the non-impacted females (mean GAD-7 of 9.57 ± 6.32 vs. 5.15 ± 3.88, respectively; p = 0.005). Never married students had significantly higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores than ever-married (9.31 ± 6.37 vs. 6.93 ± 5.47, P = 0.003) and (8.89 ± 6.11 vs. 7.13 ± 5.49, respectively; p = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of this sample of university students in terms of depression and anxiety. The results highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for university students and focus on vulnerable groups.

Cross-sectional study of the knowledge, perception and attitude of first-year university students in Iraq towards SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and COVID-19 vaccines

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to first assess the knowledge and perception of first-year university students in Iraq about COVID-19 in general and SARS-CoV-2 latest variant of concern, and to evaluate the attitudes towards protection measures including vaccination.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted among newly enrolled students at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test an association between the outcomes measured on a 5-point Likert scale and the binary and the categorical independent variables, respectively. χ² test was used to test the association between nominal categorical variables, while Kendall's τ-b was used for ordinal variables.

PARTICIPANTS

Students (n=432) were invited to fill out a survey specifically tailored to assess their knowledge, perception and attitude towards Omicron variant and COVID-19 vaccines acceptance. 363 students enrolled in various majors participated in this study.

RESULTS

Assessment of COVID-19 knowledge and perception revealed that students still lack reliable info and data about FDA-approved treatment options (70.5%), SARS-CoV-2 variants (96.5%) and approved vaccines. Students' attitude and practices towards recommended safety measures should be reassessed to better manage the pandemic. Adherence level was shown to be associated with the belief in its capacity to effectively manage the new variant. Interestingly, 85% of the students have received at least one dose of approved vaccine. A significant positive correlation was detected between the level of adherence to recommended precautions and the intention to take a third booster shot if proven effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Students' reliable knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic including the various strains and approved vaccines should be improved to better manage the pandemic and set foundations for a more appropriate approach when another pandemic occurs. Special workshops should be organised to ensure that students and the public have a more trusted source of information about COVID-19.

Anxiety and depression among patient's companions during admission to the ICU in the Omicron wave of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in Aleppo University Hospital

BACKGROUND

After the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety and depression have reached high levels, especially after the last wave, Omicron. Healthcare workers in contact with COVID-19 patients or those who come in contact with them may exhibit high levels of anxiety and depression. Therefore, we aimed to assess anxiety and depression symptoms among ICU companions of COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

From 30 November 2021 to 1 March 2022, sixth-year medical students at Aleppo University Hospital conducted interviews with the companions of COVID-19 patients who they brought their patient to the ICU centre as part of a cross-sectional quantitative study using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 tools to gauge their level of anxiety and depression among companions of COVID-19 patients. The data were analyzed using the SPSS program. In addition, logistic regression models were used to study possible factors of anxiety and depression symptoms during COVID-19.

RESULTS

The total number was 997 participants in contact with COVID-19 patients. The mean score of the depression assessment tool (PHQ-9) in our questionnaire was 9.5 with a range of 0 to 27. At the same time, the anxiety assessment tool (GAD-7) had a mean score of 9.1, ranging from 0 to 21. A binary logistic regression was used to predict the relationship between depression and anxiety and various factors. We found that the companions with medical specialties were substantially less likely to develop anxiety than other companions [AOR = 0.459; 95%CI (0.23-0.9)], in addition females were substantially higher likely to develop depression than males [AOR = 1.322; 95%CI (0.992-1.762)]. 45.4% of companions had moderate to severe anxiety, in additon 50.8% of companions had moderate to severe depression.

CONCLUSION

Our research reveals that moderate to severe anxiety and sadness are present in roughly half of the COVID19 patients' companions. Females, people with children, and hard workers were more inclined to feel anxious than others, and those who are not in the medical field were more likely to suffer from depression than others, thus it is critical to assist these groups during the present outbreaks (Omicron and Monkeybox).

Anxiety and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study of staff and students from a tertiary education center in Malaysia

Aim

We examined the anxiety levels and coping strategies among staff and students of a tertiary educational institution during the COVID-19 pandemic and determined the association between anxiety level and coping strategies.

Method

Through an online survey, we used Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) to measure the level of anxiety associated with the COVID-19 crisis and Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) to assess the coping responses adopted to handle stressful life events. Coping strategies were classified as adaptive and maladaptive, for which the aggregate sores were calculated. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the predictors of anxiety adjusted for potentially confounding variables. Results from 434 participants were available for analysis.

Results

The mean score (SD) of the CAS was 1.1 (1.8). The mean scores of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies were 35.69 and 19.28, respectively. Multiple linear regression revealed that maladaptive coping [Adjusted B coefficient = 4.106, p-value < 0.001] and presence of comorbidities [Adjusted B coefficient = 1.376, p-value = 0.025] significantly predicted anxiety.

Conclusion

Maladaptive coping and presence of comorbidities were the predictors of coronavirus anxiety. The apparent lack of anxiety in relation to COVID-19 and movement restriction is reflective of the reported high level of satisfaction with the support and services provided during the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia. Adaptive coping strategies were adopted more frequently than maladaptive. Nevertheless, public education on positive coping strategies and anxiety management may be still be relevant to provide mental health support to address the needs of the general population.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward the COVID-19 infection among adults Iran: A cross-sectional study

Background

Coronavirus illness (COVID-19) has spread globally and is affecting everyone severely. The evaluation of educational needs (knowledge, attitudes, and practices) is important in controlling COVID-19 situations. The goal of this study is to find out what adults in Ardabil City know, how they feel, and what they do about the COVID-19 infection.

Methods

In November 2021, a cross-sectional descriptive-correlational survey of 384 people was conducted using stratified-cluster sampling in Ardabil. The researchers created a self-reported questionnaire with 23 items as the data collection technique. The quantitative data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, the correlation coefficient, and regression analysis.

Results

The correct answer rate for this research found that 73.17% of participants (n = 281) had appropriate knowledge, 61.19% (n = 235) had favorable attitudes, and 69.53% (n = 267) had enough practice behavior. However, knowledge was related to gender, employment, and location of residence. Age, marital status, education level, and location of residence were all connected with attitude. Age, gender, and marital status were all related to the behavior. The findings of linear regression analysis revealed that knowledge and attitude influence behavior.

Conclusion

The study findings revealed a high degree of understanding of COVID-19, a positive attitude, and a strong commitment to good practices. Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were influenced to varying degrees by age, marital status, education level, employment, and location of residence. Furthermore, knowledge and attitudes influenced behaviors.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare professionals toward the novel coronavirus during the early stage of COVID-19 in a lower-and-middle income country, Bangladesh

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at an increased risk of COVID-19 infection because of their direct exposure to suspected and confirmed coronavirus patients in healthcare facilities. This condition is even more acute in low-and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Given the poor healthcare settings of Bangladesh, it is challenging to halt the spread of infection without proper knowledge, attitudes, and good behavioral practices (KAPs). Therefore, this study conducted a cross-sectional study from May 5 to 31, 2020, with 203 healthcare professionals to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19. Participants were doctors, nurses, dentists, and allied health professionals. A self-administered questionnaire including several KAP-related items aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines was distributed over various online platforms to collect data. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the factors influencing KAP levels. The majority of participants were male (52.22%). The prevalence of high knowledge levels, positive attitudes, and good practices were 51.23, 45.81, and 49.75%, respectively. Social media was the most common source for seeking coronavirus information. Workers at private institutions were less likely (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.30-0.95, p < 0.05) to be knowledgeable than workers at public institutions. Doctors had more positive attitudes than other healthcare professionals. Older participants showed high rates of good behavioral practices (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.06-1.32, p < 0.05) than younger ones. Workers at private institutions had a better practice level toward COVID-19 (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.17-3.83) than those at public institutions. These results point to the necessity for proper training programs for medical professionals that help them gain confidence to deliver the correct treatment to their patients and the need to implement preventative steps during pandemics.

Mental Health Status of University Students and Working Professionals during the Early Stage of COVID-19 in Bangladesh

A novel coronavirus disease known as COVID-19 has spread globally and brought a public health emergency to all nations. To respond to the pandemic, the Bangladesh Government imposed a nationwide lockdown that may have degraded mental health among residents, in particular, university students and working professionals. We examined clinically significant anxiety levels with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and perceived stress levels with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) in an online cross-sectional study with 744 adults. Approximately 70% of respondents were afflicted with clinically significant anxiety levels, and more than 43.82% were afflicted with moderate or high perceived stress levels. Multivariate logistic regression models showed that postgraduates (OR = 2.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03−8.75, p < 0.05) were more likely to experience anxiety than their student counterparts. No such differences emerged for working professionals, however. Living with family members compared to living alone was a risk factor for perceived stress among working professionals (OR = 4.05, 95% CI = 1.45−11.32, p < 0.05). COVID-19 stressors such as financial hardship (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.11−3.05, p < 0.05) and worries of family members’ health (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.12−2.99) were risk factors for anxiety among students. Questionable social media news exposure (OR = 2.99, 95% CI = 1.13−7.92, p < 0.05) contributed to the development of mental stress among working professionals. These findings confirm that effective initiatives and proactive efforts from concerned authorities are necessary to cope with the mental health correlates of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in developing contexts such as Bangladesh.

COVID-19 pandemic experiences of students from BAME and White ethnic groups pursuing higher education in the UK: A qualitative comparative exploration

BACKGROUND

The new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-Cov2, more commonly known as COVID-19 continues to be an ongoing cause of one of the most disruptive pandemics worldwide. UK universities comprise students who come from different backgrounds and cultures and the majority returned home or lived alone during the lockdown. This qualitative study aimed to compare the experiences of students from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and White British students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An in-depth interview was conducted with each of 35 students-18 from BAME and 17 from White backgrounds-in their homes on Zoom or Microsoft between November 2020 and May 2021. Interview transcripts were checked for accuracy and were analysed using N-Vivo coding software for themes. The pre-pandemic and pandemic experiences of students were collected in the form of a data, including perceptions of the COVID-19 virus, the physical environment in which students lived, and the effect on their general wellbeing, social interactions, online learning, teaching, and assessment.

RESULTS

Mental health issues were more prevalent among female students compared to males and this was more evident amongst BAME females who had returned to living at home, possibly due to lack of personal space. There was a reduction in personal hygiene in White females. There was an increase in the use of social media, particularly by BAME females. Students mostly disliked online learning and exams. Concerns were also raised about how universities communicated important information to the students.

CONCLUSION

Based on the recommendations of the WHO in relation to COVID-19, universities need to effectively manage the information they provide to students and build trust through risk communication and community engagement. One important area in this regard is addressing access to mental health services. The reasons why BAME females experience more mental health issues should be explored further.