Knowledge, attitudes, and practices against the growing threat of COVID-19 among medical students of Pakistan

Abstract

Background On account of the COVID-19 pandemic, many changes have been implicated in university medical students. We are cognizant that pandemic can be controlled with dedicated contributions from all involved in the healthcare profession. Therefore, it is important to know the pandemic and application of knowledge by the medical students to formulate a further line of management in Pakistan. Objective We aimed toinvestigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding COVID-19 and its impact on medical students of Pakistan. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in June 2020 by a validated self—administered questionnaire. The survey instrument was tailored from a published questionnaire comprised of questions on demographics (6), knowledge (14), attitudes (4), and practices (6). Results Of the 1474 medical students in the study, 576(39.1%) were males, and 898(60.1%) were females. Two-thirds of the participants 1057(71.7%) had adequate knowledge, and almost all the students had positive attitudes (1363(92.5%), and good practices 1406(95.4%) to COVID-19. Two-thirds of the medical students 1023(69%) believed that the COVID-19 outbreak had affected their social, mental, and psychological well-being. One-quarter of the medical students 391(26%) become more religious, 597(40%) realized the importance of life, and 1140(77%) became careless because of the pandemic. The female medical students were 2.545 times (p < .001) and 4.414 times (p < .001) more likely to have positive attitudes and good practices toward COVID-19 as compared to males. Conclusion Medical students, especially females and senior year scholars, were well-versed with desired levels of knowledge, attitudes, and preventive measures toward COVID-19. Most of them recognized COVID 19, is shaping their social, mental, and psychological well-being and encroaching on the healthcare system and economy. The information acquired by the KAP study may help to devise effective preventive strategies for future events.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Medical Students Regarding COVID-19 in Afghanistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Almost all respondents knew about measures that should be adopted to prevent COVID-19 spread, such as washing hands with soap and water frequently (98%), applying a mask in crowded areas (97.3%), avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth (92.7%), and maintaining at least 1 m physical distance. These results are in line with reported rates in studies conducted on medical students in Pakistan 29 and India. 20 …”

“…This is similar to what was reported among United Arab Emirates and Pakistani students. 12 , 29 Almost all (95%) students in our study thought that wearing a face mask was important in preventing COVID-19 infection. This is higher than that reported for medical and allied health–science students in India (73.1%).…”

COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices of United Arab Emirates medical and health sciences students: A cross sectional study

“…In contrast other studies from Japan [ 25 ] and India [ 32 ] did not show any differences between medical and non-medical students. The high knowledge about COVID-19 among medical and allied health students in the UAE is similar to findings reported from Japan [ 25 ], Saudi Arabia [ 24 ], Portugal [ 33 ], and Pakistan [ 23 ] (96%, 86%, 82%, 72% respectively). These studies used different sets of questions to explore the KAP among students; study populations are variable; and sampling techniques are different, although most of them were carried out early in the pandemic.…”

“…These studies used different sets of questions to explore the KAP among students; study populations are variable; and sampling techniques are different, although most of them were carried out early in the pandemic. Studies on medical students found that they generally had good knowledge about COVID-19, although this was less in preclinical years compared with clinical years [ 23 , 34 ]. Medical students are commonly asked for medical advice from their family members which prompts them to learn more about COVID-19 [ 35 , 36 ].…”

“…University students can be a source of increased health awareness and health education not only for themselves but also for those around them as they take part in the dissemination of pandemic-related knowledge supporting the prevention and control of the pandemic [ 21 , 22 ]. Recent studies from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Japan have shown that medical students have sufficient knowledge, positive attitudes, and proactive practices during the COVID-19 crisis [ 23 – 25 ].…”