Factors Influencing Preventive Behavior against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Medically Inclined College Students

Abstract

Purpose: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), an emerging infectious disease introduced in South Korea in 2020. Medically inclined college students are more susceptible to be infected by the virus. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors influencing preventive behavior against COVID-19 among medically inclined college students.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey. Data were collected from 400 medically inclined college students from four colleges of medice. Independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis were conducted to analysis the data.Results: The study subjects had high knowledge and optimism related to COVID-19. Preventive behavior against COVID-19 was affected mostly by attitude (β=.32, <i>p</i><.001). Such behavior was also high in relation to knowledge (β=.17, <i>p</i><.001), and nursing students (β=.15, <i>p</i>=.002).Conclusion: Infection prevention education for medically inclined college students mainly focuses on knowledge transfer. Infection preventive education programs aimed at improving COVID-19 optimistic attitudes and knowledge are helpful for these students to maintain appropriate preventive practices. The confirmation of the importance of optimistic attitudes and risk perception toward infectious diseases through this study can provide insight into infection prevention education programs to improve practice to wards new epidemic prevention behaviors.