Knowledge, Preventive Behaviour and Risk Perception about COVID-19 in Health Care Professional Students

Abstract

Background: With 3.95 lakhs of active COVID-19 cases in India and Tamilnadu being the second-largest hub of COVID-19, the health and social impact on the public, especially the health care warriors would be considerable. Objective: To evaluate and compare the levels of knowledge, preventive behaviour and risk perception of South Indian Health Care Professional(HCP) Students regarding COVID-19.Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a tertiary care centre and teaching hospital in May-June 2020 amongst 873 students pursuing various HCP courses. The questionnaire comprised four sections - demographic details, COVID–19 related knowledge, preventive behaviour and risk perception. Results: Females volunteered to complete the survey (n= 623; 71.4%) more than males (n= 250; 28.6%). Most participants had received awareness about COVID-19 (n=860; 98.5%) from many resources of information. While females (97.50 ± 8.94) had significantly higher scores on items for preventive behaviour than males (94.7±15.55; p=0.006), the scores were similar for knowledge and risk perception. There was a statistically significant difference in risk perception among various courses with students pursuing Pharmacy having higher risk perception. Items regarding the use of masks in general and hospital setups and availability of antivirals for COVID-19 received many incorrect responses. Conclusions: HCP students presented with high levels of COVID-19 related knowledge and preventive behaviour, but moderate risk perception. Continuing education programs and preventive behavioural training are the need of the hour to strengthen the knowledge and alleviate the anxiety of HCP students towards the pandemic.