Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the personal and academic lives of undergraduates in Saudi Arabia. Although studies have suggested that COVID-19 increased the prevalence of psychological health problems among undergraduates, the associations between the risk of depression and safety practices and the influence of gender on these associations have not been studied in detail. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among preparatory-year undergraduates in a large public university in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale, and the practice of eight precautionary behaviors was also assessed. Data analysis was performed using the chi-square test, multiple linear regression and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. In total, 3044 undergraduates were surveyed. The mean age was 18.6 years (SD = 0.84), and 61.9% (n = 1883) of the participants were female. Overall, 47.7% of the participants reported having elevated depressive symptoms. Overall mean values of CES-D scores were higher among female undergraduates than that of male undergraduates (18.08 versus 15.56, p < 0.01). There were inverse and weak but significant relationships between the CES-D score and frequent cleaning of hands (male: r = −0.116, p < 0.01; female: r = −0.098, p < 0.01), wearing a mask when going out (male: r = −0.172, p < 0.01; female: r = −0.135, p < 0.01), keeping social distance (male: r = −0.117, p < 0.01; female: r = −0.147, p < 0.01), and covering the nose when sneezing (male: r = −0.202, p < 0.01; female: r = −0.115, p < 0.01). Regression analysis indicated that adherence to precautionary measures was a strong predictor of reduction of depressive symptoms in the target population. Male gender was also found to be an independent predictor of reduction of depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were highly prevalent in this target group, and female undergraduates seemed to be more vulnerable to developing such symptoms. Results also indicated that female undergraduates were more likely to implement the protective measures for COVID-19. The promotion of precautionary measures seems to be effective in reducing distress in this target population, but further research is needed to confirm our assertions.
Highlights
About twothirds of both male and female participants reported that they often use hand sanitizers and maintain social distancing when going out. These four precautionary measures were the most important and effective behavioral actions promoted by the Saudi government in controlling the spread of the disease
A slightly higher percentage of male undergraduates compared to female undergraduates reported wearing masks when going out
The findings indicate that female undergraduates were more likely to implement the protective measures than their male counterparts
Summary
The COVID-19 disease, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has already had devastating health and socio-economic consequences on the world population [1,2,3]. The first COVID-19 case was detected in. China in December 2019, and at present, people in almost all countries in the world are affected by the disease. By the end of 2020, 1.8 million deaths were recorded worldwide due to COVID-19 [4]. A number of strategies were implemented by countries across the world to mitigate the spread of the disease. Lockdown of cities or the whole country, imposing curfew, banning social and religious gatherings, closure of educational institutions, and public education about personal safety measures against the disease
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
