COVID-19: Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Preventive Measures Among Undergraduate Medical Students of Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of undergraduate medical students regarding Covid-19
and to assess their practice of precautionary measures.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 13th to 18th July'2020. A pretested questionnaire,
created on google forms, was distributed to a sample of medical students employed through convenience
sampling. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Qualitative variables were described in
frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test was applied to find associations between variables. A p-value of
less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: We received 406 validated responses from medical students studying in Punjab (35%), Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (21%), Sindh (19%), Azad Kashmir (12.6%), Federal Capital (8%) and Balochistan (4.4%).
More than two-third of them had attended lectures on Covid-19. The respondents were least knowledgeable
about contagiousness after recovery (27%) and the recovery criteria of the disease (41%). About 40% of them
would avoid working with a Covid-19 patient. Practice of certain precautionary behaviors were associated
with level of concern (p=0.01). Handwashing, use of face masks and social distancing measures were
adopted by the majority of the respondents (³80%). The respondents reported increased worry (75%) and
loneliness (50%) during the pandemic. Increased anxiety was more common among female participants
(p=0.04).
Conclusion: The practice of preventive measures among medical students was satisfactory. However, we
identified some knowledge gaps in their understanding about Covid-19 which should be addressed. Formal
or practical lectures on Covid-19 may benefit medical students