Indonesia medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward COVID-19

Abstract

Implementing health protocols and preventive measures are the only effective ways to suppress COVID-19 transmission before vaccines and antiviral drugs are developed. The implementation of health protocols and preventive measures are influenced by one’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward this pandemic. Medical students as candidates for healthcare workers and role models for the community should have a good KAP. This study intends 1) to explore the KAP of medical students in Indonesia toward COVID-19 and 2) to assess which demographic factors have a significant effect on their KAP scores. An online questionnaire consisting of 18 items of knowledge, six items of attitudes, and 12 items of practices were used as instruments in this study. After being distributed for two weeks in June 2020, 525 respondents whose data were worth analyzing were obtained. The respondents consisted of male and female students, from diploma to bachelor degree, and came from all four types of higher education institutions in Indonesia. The results, 48% of respondents had good knowledge, 81% had good attitudes, and 43.5% had good practices toward COVID-19. The location of students’ residence has no significant effect on their KAP score. Gender has a significant effect on knowledge and practice scores. Age, institution type, and institution status have a significant effect on their three KAP domains. The KAP survey results can be used as a reflection of the importance of the curriculum that prepares medical students for the pandemic. Medical students are also expected to be able to actively participate in educating people around them on how to minimize the transmission of COVID-19 during the pandemic.

Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes toward Science: Its Correlation on Students’ Disbelief in Non-Scientific Misinformation

“…The institutional status of Higher Education where students were studying could significantly contribute to BK [H (1) = 17.465, p < 0.001] as well as DiCT [H (1) = 33.447 p < 0.001], in which scores of public university students were always significantly higher than those of private one. This fact was in line with the research of Sondakh et al (2022), informing that institutional status could influence students' competence (Hendajany, 2016). In addition, public and private universities in Indonesia were also reported to be different in terms of quality and regulation (Welch, 2007).…”

“…(Fauzi et al, 2020). In addition, the other researchers also found that students' knowledge about the pandemic was still less satisfactory (Adli et al, 2022;Sondakh et al, 2022). Nevertheless, such a finding did not align with other foreign research showing that students could identify whichever information based on natural science falls into fake news about the COVID-19 (Puig et al, 2021).…”

“…Regarding the high percentage level of Biology students' belief in conspiracies about COVID-19, such a problem was in great need of proper solutions. Students were expected to acquire a deep understanding and good and positive attitudes towards numerous biological phenomena around the communities (Sondakh et al, 2022). In addition, due to a vast number of myths, pseudoscience, misinformation, and conspiracies concerning natural phenomena and diseases in the Indonesian communities, students were highly supposed to be able to become an agent of change.…”

“…The low level of students' disbelief in those conspiracies was consistent with previous research reporting that level of literacy on COVID-19 phenomena demonstrated by Biology students in Indonesia was still low(Fauzi et al, 2020). In addition, the other researchers also found that students' knowledge about the pandemic was still less satisfactory(Adli et al, 2022;Sondakh et al, 2022). Nevertheless, such a finding did not align with other foreign research showing that students could identify whichever information based on natural science falls into fake news about the COVID-19(Puig et al, 2021).Regarding students' responses, CT on the pharmaceutical industry constituted the most believed conspiracy among the students.…”

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Concerning Covid-19 Preventive Measures Among Healthcare Providers in Jordan

“…Due to the urgency of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) information during this current pandemic, several researchers have conducted KAP surveys with a variety of respondents. Some surveys involve the public ( Azlan et al, 2020 ; Chang et al, 2021 ) and other surveys involve healthcare students ( Sondakh et al, 2022 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ) and students from various majors ( Saefi et al, 2020 ). However, the research analyzing KAP about COVID-19 in Jordan is still limited.…”