Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Eur J Dent 2020; 14(S 01): S50-S55
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1719212
Original Article

Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, and Stress Related to COVID-19 among Undergraduate Health Care Students in Jordan

Ruba M. Mustafa
1   Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
,
Nasr N. Alrabadi
2   Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
,
Ruwaida Z. Alshali
3   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
,
Yousef S. Khader
4   Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
,
Dana M. Ahmad
1   Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and infection control measures related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak among Jordanian health care students. Besides, their social behavior and stress level regarding COVID-19 infection were assessed.

Materials and Methods An online questionnaire was distributed to medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, and applied health science students in Jordan during the COVID-19 outbreak quarantine in March 2020. The questionnaire comprised 38 questions assessing demographic data, knowledge, attitude, risk perception, and stress level toward COVID-19. Questions regarding infection control measures and social behavior after the quarantine were also included.

Statistical Analysis Independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi-square at a significance level of 5% were used for data analysis.

Results A total number of 935 responses were collected. The knowledge score of 55.72% of participants was satisfactory and it was higher for the clinical years’ students compared with the basic years’ students (p = 0.000) (descending order: sixth year > fifth year > fourth year > third year > first year > second year). Also, knowledge scores were significantly higher for medical and dental students than other disciplines (descending order: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing/applied) (p = 0.000). The social media (89.1%) and TV or radio (69.5%) were mainly routes through which participants heard about COVID-19. Moderate and justifiable feelings about COVID-19 were found in the majority of the participants.

Conclusion Although the majority of students showed good knowledge scores, few of them appeared to have a serious lack of knowledge. Therefore, proper education and mentoring are necessary for students before reopening the university campuses.

Keywords

attitude - COVID-19 - infection control - knowledge - students


Publication History

Article published online:
24 November 2020

© 2020. European Journal of Dentistry. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, Second Floor, Sector -2, NOIDA -201301, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Yin Y, Wunderink RG. MERS, SARS and other coronaviruses as causes of pneumonia. Respirology 2018; 23 (02) 130-137
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Nasiri K. COVID-19 and the antiviral effect of saliva. Eur J Dent 2020;14(suppl S1):S177–S178 doi:10.1055/s-0040-1715708
  • 3 Cascella M, Rajnik M, Cuomo A, Dulebohn SC, Di Napoli R. Features, evaluation and treatment coronavirus (COVID-19). Statpearls [internet]. StatPearls Publishing; Treasure Island, FL, USA: 2020
    Google Scholar
  • 4 Bhagavathula A, Shehab A. The story of mysterious pneumonia and the response to deadly novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV): so far. New Emirates Med J 2020; 1 (01) 7-10
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Lai C-C, Shih T-P, Ko W-C, Tang H-J, Hsueh P-R. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): the epidemic and the challenges. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2020; 55 (03) 105924
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Sohrabi C, Alsafi Z, O’Neill N. et al. World Health Organization declares global emergency: a review of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Int J Surg 2020; 76: 71-76
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Moradi Khanghahi B, Jamali Z, Pournaghi Azar F, Naghavi Behzad M, Azami-Aghdash S. Knowledge, attitude, practice, and status of infection control among Iranian dentists and dental students: a systematic review. J Dent Res Dent Clin Dent Prospect 2013; 7 (02) 55-60
    Google Scholar
  • 8 Baseer MA, Rahman G, Yassin MA. Infection control practices in dental school: a patient perspective from Saudi Arabia. Dent Res J (Isfahan) 2013; 10 (01) 25-30
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Tada A, Watanabe M, Senpuku H. Factors influencing compliance with infection control practice in Japanese dentists. Int J Occup Environ Med 2014; 5 (01) 24-31
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Hamid H, Khurshid Z, Adanir N, Zafar MS, Zohaib S. COVID-19 pandemic and role of human saliva as a testing biofluid in point-of-care technology 2020. Eur J Dent:2020;14(suppl S1):S123–S129 doi:10.1055/s-0040-1713020
  • 11 Mackay IM, Arden KE. MERS coronavirus: diagnostics, epidemiology and transmission. Virol J 2015; 12 (01) 222
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Kim JS, Choi JS. Middle East respiratory syndrome-related knowledge, preventive behaviours and risk perception among nursing students during outbreak. J Clin Nurs 2016; 25 (17-18) 2542-2549
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Andrews B, Wilding JM. The relation of depression and anxiety to life-stress and achievement in students. Br J Psychol 2004; 95 (Pt 4) 509-521
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Al-Mohaissen M. Awareness among a Saudi Arabian university community of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus following an outbreak. East Mediterr Health J 2017; 23 (05) 351-360
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Blendon RJ, Benson JM, DesRoches CM, Raleigh E, Taylor-Clark K. The public’s response to severe acute respiratory syndrome in Toronto and the United States. Clin Infect Dis 2004; 38 (07) 925-931
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Ajilore K, Atakiti I, Onyenankeya K. College students’ knowledge, attitudes and adherence to public service announcements on Ebola in Nigeria: suggestions for improving future Ebola prevention education programmes. Health Educ J 2017; 76 (06) 648-660
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Raosoft. Sample size calculator. Available at: https://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html. Accessed April 2020
  • 18 Salman M, Mustafa ZU, Asif N. et al. Knowledge, attitude and preventive practices related to COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in two Pakistani university populations. Drugs Ther Perspect 2020; 1-7
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Casadonte PP, Des Jarlais DC, Friedman SR, Rotrosen JP. Psychological and behavioral impact among intravenous drug users of learning HIV test results. Int J Addict 1990; 25 (04) 409-426
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Lauer SA, Grantz KH, Bi Q. et al. The incubation period of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from publicly reported confirmed cases: estimation and application. Ann Intern Med 2020; 172 (09) 577-582
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Li LQ, Huang T, Wang YQ. et al. COVID-19 patients’ clinical characteristics, discharge rate, and fatality rate of meta-analysis. J Med Virol 2020; 92 (06) 577-583
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Jean SS, Lee PI, Hsueh PR. Treatment options for COVID-19: the reality and challenges. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2020; 53 (03) 436-443
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Salata C, Calistri A, Parolin C, Palù G. Coronaviruses: a paradigm of new emerging zoonotic diseases. Pathog Dis 2019; 77 (09) ftaa006 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftaa006.
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Lum LHW, Tambyah PA. Outbreak of COVID-19 - an urgent need for good science to silence our fears. ? Singapore Med J 2020; 61 (02) 55-57
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Alqutob R, Al Nsour M, Tarawneh MR. et al. COVID-19 crisis in Jordan: response, scenarios, strategies, and recommendations. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2020; 6 (03) e19332
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Wilder-Smith A, Freedman DO. Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. J Travel Med 2020; 27 (02) taaa020
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar