Albanian university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccine: A cross-sectional study
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic remains a public health concern worldwide. Given that, students represent a subgroup of the population with an impact on the pandemic. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Albanian students about COVID-19, and to prov...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/17587 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850036728064114688 |
|---|---|
| author | Lumturi Merkuri Edmond Puca Fatjona Kamberi Ilir Alimehmeti Erda Qorri Xhejni Borshi |
| author_facet | Lumturi Merkuri Edmond Puca Fatjona Kamberi Ilir Alimehmeti Erda Qorri Xhejni Borshi |
| author_sort | Lumturi Merkuri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic remains a public health concern worldwide. Given that, students represent a subgroup of the population with an impact on the pandemic.
Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Albanian students about COVID-19, and to provide a database to plan and implement preventive evidence-based interventions.
Methodology: An online survey was conducted among Albanian university students during April-May 2022, to collect information on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to COVID-19, through a structured questionnaire.
Results: A total of 906 students, 72.8% females, were included in it. 93.4% of participants knew the ways of transmission of COVID-19; 92.5% had information about preventive measures, but only 30% knew about quarantine and 37.0% knew vaccination as a preventive measure. Regarding attitudes, 54.8% of participants believed that COVID-19 infection is very dangerous. 46.5% have a negative attitude toward covid vaccines. Almost all respondents (93.7%) apply regular hand washing as a preventive measure; 82.8% cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing; but only 28.2% always use a mask indoors.
Conclusions: Albanian university students had good knowledge, positive attitudes, and appropriate preventive practices against COVID-19, but the study found that some limitations in terms of information and misconceptions still exist. Raising awareness and providing adequate information, education, and more effective communication programs will have a positive impact on increasing knowledge, improving attitudes, and supporting the required student behavior change.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eaf0edd8baeb47b8ace9db191cd6f3a2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1972-2680 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Infection in Developing Countries |
| spelling | doaj-art-eaf0edd8baeb47b8ace9db191cd6f3a22025-08-20T02:57:04ZengThe Journal of Infection in Developing CountriesJournal of Infection in Developing Countries1972-26802023-01-01170110.3855/jidc.17587Albanian university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccine: A cross-sectional studyLumturi Merkuri0Edmond Puca1Fatjona Kamberi2Ilir Alimehmeti3Erda Qorri4Xhejni Borshi5Albanian University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tirana, AlbaniaService of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Center, Tirana, AlbaniaResearch Centre of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Vlora “Ismail Qemali”, AlbaniaUniversity of Medicine, Tirana, AlbaniaAlbanian University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tirana, AlbaniaAlbanian University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tirana, Albania Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic remains a public health concern worldwide. Given that, students represent a subgroup of the population with an impact on the pandemic. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Albanian students about COVID-19, and to provide a database to plan and implement preventive evidence-based interventions. Methodology: An online survey was conducted among Albanian university students during April-May 2022, to collect information on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to COVID-19, through a structured questionnaire. Results: A total of 906 students, 72.8% females, were included in it. 93.4% of participants knew the ways of transmission of COVID-19; 92.5% had information about preventive measures, but only 30% knew about quarantine and 37.0% knew vaccination as a preventive measure. Regarding attitudes, 54.8% of participants believed that COVID-19 infection is very dangerous. 46.5% have a negative attitude toward covid vaccines. Almost all respondents (93.7%) apply regular hand washing as a preventive measure; 82.8% cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing; but only 28.2% always use a mask indoors. Conclusions: Albanian university students had good knowledge, positive attitudes, and appropriate preventive practices against COVID-19, but the study found that some limitations in terms of information and misconceptions still exist. Raising awareness and providing adequate information, education, and more effective communication programs will have a positive impact on increasing knowledge, improving attitudes, and supporting the required student behavior change. https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/17587KnowledgeCOVID-19attitudevaccinestudents |
| spellingShingle | Lumturi Merkuri Edmond Puca Fatjona Kamberi Ilir Alimehmeti Erda Qorri Xhejni Borshi Albanian university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccine: A cross-sectional study Journal of Infection in Developing Countries Knowledge COVID-19 attitude vaccine students |
| title | Albanian university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccine: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Albanian university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccine: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Albanian university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccine: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Albanian university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccine: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Albanian university students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 infection and vaccine: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | albanian university students knowledge attitudes and practices regarding covid 19 infection and vaccine a cross sectional study |
| topic | Knowledge COVID-19 attitude vaccine students |
| url | https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/17587 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lumturimerkuri albanianuniversitystudentsknowledgeattitudesandpracticesregardingcovid19infectionandvaccineacrosssectionalstudy AT edmondpuca albanianuniversitystudentsknowledgeattitudesandpracticesregardingcovid19infectionandvaccineacrosssectionalstudy AT fatjonakamberi albanianuniversitystudentsknowledgeattitudesandpracticesregardingcovid19infectionandvaccineacrosssectionalstudy AT iliralimehmeti albanianuniversitystudentsknowledgeattitudesandpracticesregardingcovid19infectionandvaccineacrosssectionalstudy AT erdaqorri albanianuniversitystudentsknowledgeattitudesandpracticesregardingcovid19infectionandvaccineacrosssectionalstudy AT xhejniborshi albanianuniversitystudentsknowledgeattitudesandpracticesregardingcovid19infectionandvaccineacrosssectionalstudy |