Hussein, R., Manzour, A., Wahdan, M. (2021). COVID-19 Knowledge, Risk Perception, and Precautionary Behavior among Medical Students in Egypt. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 51(1), 25-32. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2021.161285
Rasha S. Hussein; Ayat F. Manzour; Maha M. Wahdan. "COVID-19 Knowledge, Risk Perception, and Precautionary Behavior among Medical Students in Egypt". Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 51, 1, 2021, 25-32. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2021.161285
Hussein, R., Manzour, A., Wahdan, M. (2021). 'COVID-19 Knowledge, Risk Perception, and Precautionary Behavior among Medical Students in Egypt', Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 51(1), pp. 25-32. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2021.161285
Hussein, R., Manzour, A., Wahdan, M. COVID-19 Knowledge, Risk Perception, and Precautionary Behavior among Medical Students in Egypt. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 2021; 51(1): 25-32. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2021.161285
COVID-19 Knowledge, Risk Perception, and Precautionary Behavior among Medical Students in Egypt
1Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt
2Department of Community, Environmental, and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt
Abstract
Background: During clinical training, medical students may have close contact with COVID-19-infected patients. Lack of proper knowledge about COVID-19 dynamics and prevention makes them more liable to infection. Objective: To evaluate the level of awareness, precautionary behavior, and risk perception regarding COVID-19 and identify the factors motivating and hindering medical students to take preventive measures. Methods: A cross-sectional research study was conducted using an online questionnaire of medical students at Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt between June 1 and June 30, 2020. The questionnaire design was based on a literature review mainly on the domains of the standard risk perception questionnaire. Results: A total of 351 medical students (mean age of 21 ± 2 years) completed the questionnaire. Over 94% had a high level of knowledge, 96.9% scored at high level of practicing precautionary behavior, and 86.1% had a high level of risk perception. Precautionary behavior practices had significant negative correlation with the knowledge scores associated with COVID-19 and a significant positive correlation with risk perception score. There was a significant association between the precautionary behavior performance and risk perception levels (odds ratio = 4.14). Conclusion: Most medical students showed a high degree of COVID-19-related awareness, precautionary behavior, and perception of risk. Recommendations: There were students who did not practice or that showed a low risk perception as well as reported hindering factors for not practicing precautionary behaviors. Therefore, intensification of health education sessions to support adherence to precautionary measures is still required.
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