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Zemni I, Zemni K, Gara A, Maatouk A, Ben Fredj M, Abroug H, Kacem M, Benasrallah C, Dhouib W, Bouanene I, Belguith Sriha A. Associated factors with adherence to preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among medical students in the university of Monastir, Tunisia. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280921. [PMID: 36917588 PMCID: PMC10013900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Medical students should act as a model for the community in terms of compliance with preventive practices toward COVID-19. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among medical students and to identify its associated factors. POPULATION AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey in October 2020 in the faculty of medicine of Monastir. We included a representative sample of medical students during registration days for the 2020-2021 academic year. The data were collected through a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Eleven items related to preventive practices against COVID-19 were assessed (respiratory hygiene practices (Six Item), hand hygiene practices (Three Items) and social distancing (two items)). Items were evaluated using a Likert scale of five points (from 0: (Never) to 4: (Always)). The score obtained from the sum of these items allowed to classify students into two categories: "Good compliance" if the score was ≥ 80% and "Poor compliance" if the score was less than 80%. Scores were compared according to the study population characteristics. Multivariate analysis was used to identify associated factors with good practices. The threshold of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS We included 678 medical students. The average age was 21.76 (SD = 1.89 years) with a sex ratio of 0.40. The protection measures most respected by the participants were related to the respiratory hygiene: correct coverage of the nose and mouth with the mask (80%), wearing masks regardless of the presence of symptoms (73.3%) and coverage of the mouth during coughing or sneezing (76.6%). Adherence to hand hygiene measures ranged from 51.4% to 66.3%. The least respected measures were related to social distancing: distancing of at least one meter from others (31.2%) and avoiding crowded places (42.5%). An overall score ≥ 80% was obtained among 61.5% of students. Referring to multivariate analysis, variables that positively affected the overall score of preventive measures related to COVID-19 were the female sex and living alone, with Beta coefficients of 3.82 and 1.37 respectively. The perceived level of stress, E-cigarette and Chicha consumption negatively affected the score with Beta coefficients of (-0.13), (-5.11) and (-2.33) respectively. CONCLUSION The level of adherence to good practice among medical students was overall moderate. Awareness programs would be needed in this population, especially for men and those who smoke and vape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imen Zemni
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Technology and Medical Imaging Research Laboratory—LTIM—LR12ES06, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- * E-mail:
| | - Kaouthar Zemni
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Amal Gara
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Amani Maatouk
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Manel Ben Fredj
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Technology and Medical Imaging Research Laboratory—LTIM—LR12ES06, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Hela Abroug
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Technology and Medical Imaging Research Laboratory—LTIM—LR12ES06, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Meriem Kacem
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Technology and Medical Imaging Research Laboratory—LTIM—LR12ES06, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Cyrine Benasrallah
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Technology and Medical Imaging Research Laboratory—LTIM—LR12ES06, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Wafa Dhouib
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Technology and Medical Imaging Research Laboratory—LTIM—LR12ES06, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Ines Bouanene
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Asma Belguith Sriha
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
- Technology and Medical Imaging Research Laboratory—LTIM—LR12ES06, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
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Ren J, Zhang Z, Mei Y, Wang W, Sun Q, Wang M, Hui Z. Risk perception of COVID-19 among college students in China: Latent profile analysis. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1041580. [PMID: 36408052 PMCID: PMC9674304 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1041580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The outbreak of the new coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on people's mental and physical health. Meanwhile, people's perceptions of risk may influence their emotional states and preventative behavior during an epidemic. Previous research have revealed the diversity and uniqueness of risk perception, and college students may have a different perspective on risk perception. The objective of this study was to describe the subtypes of risk perception for COVID-19 among college students in China, identify the subtypes' traits, and investigate their affecting variables. Methods College students from 10 Chinese provinces participated in a cross-sectional study (n = 2,000) that from January 16 to 30, 2022. The latent profiles and influencing factors for risk perception were investigated using latent profile analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and multinomial logistical regression. Results The sample group of this survey was 1,946 students, and the response rate was 97.3%. The best model was suggested to consist of three profiles: "neutral risk perception" (20.3%), "perception seriously without susceptible" (52.8%), and "low risk perception" (26.9%). Risk perception of COVID-19 was positively associated with attention to negation information (r = 0.372, p < 0.01), anxiety (r = 0.232, p < 0.01), and depression (r = 0.241, p < 0.01), and negatively associated with perceived social support (r = -0.151, p < 0.01). Logistic-regressions analyses mainly revealed that the risk perception of three profiles related to having chronic diseases (OR = 2.704, p < 0.01), medical major (OR = 0.595, p < 0.01; OR = 0.614, p < 0.05), without having COVID-19 confirmed cases around (OR = 0.539, p < 0.01), attention to negative information (OR = 1.073, p < 0.001; OR = 1.092, p < 0.001), and perceived social support (OR = 0.0.975, p < 0.01). Conclusions The level of risk perception for COVID-19 among Chinese college students was unsatisfactory, and the risk perception of COVID-19 had significant group characteristics and heterogeneity. Colleges and public health practitioners could have a theoretical and empirical basis to implement risk perception intervention efforts by identifying latent subgroups during the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Ren
- School of Nursing and Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhenxiang Zhang
- School of Nursing and Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China,*Correspondence: Zhenxiang Zhang
| | - Yongxia Mei
- School of Nursing and Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenna Wang
- School of Nursing and Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qianqian Sun
- School of Nursing and Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mingxu Wang
- College of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xian, China
| | - Zhaozhao Hui
- College of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xian, China
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Lee KW, Yap SF, Ong HT, Pheh KS, Lye MS. Anxiety and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study of staff and students from a tertiary education center in Malaysia. Front Public Health 2022; 10:936486. [PMID: 36276401 PMCID: PMC9583838 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.936486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wei Lee
- Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia,Centre for Research on Communicable Diseases, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Malaysia
| | - Sook Fan Yap
- Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia,Centre for Research on Communicable Diseases, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Malaysia,*Correspondence: Sook Fan Yap
| | - Hooi Tin Ong
- Department of Pre-Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kai Shuen Pheh
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Munn Sann Lye
- Department of Population Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kajang, Malaysia
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Abdul Aziz NI, Flanders S, Nungsari M. Social expectations and government incentives in Malaysia’s COVID-19 vaccine uptake. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275010. [PMID: 36156604 PMCID: PMC9512221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High vaccination rates are integral to reducing infection and severity rates of COVID-19 infections within a community. We examine the role of social expectations in COVID-19 vaccination take-ups and its interaction with potential government actions in Malaysia. We find that individuals’ expectations of others in their social groups towards vaccination predicts those individuals’ vaccination registrations. Using a vignette experiment, we examine the extent of normative expectations in normalizing pro-vaccination behavior beyond an individual’s reference group. We find that unless moderated by a high level of public trust, individuals prefer punitive policies as a way to increase vaccination rates in their communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Izzatina Abdul Aziz
- Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- ASEAN Research Center, Asia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- * E-mail:
| | - Sam Flanders
- ASEAN Research Center, Asia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Asia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- MIT Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Melati Nungsari
- ASEAN Research Center, Asia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Asia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- MIT Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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