AUTHOR=Tadese Mesfin , Tessema Saba Desta , Altaye Girma , Mulu Getaneh Baye 

TITLE=Perception of University Students Towards National Efforts at Controlling COVID-19 Pandemics, the Practice of Prevention Measures and its Associated Factors During School Reopening

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.843974

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.843974

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the whole communities, including students. Even if restrictions are being lifted in some countries, i.e., Ethiopia, the COVID-19 is not gone yet. Adjusting to the ‘’new normal’’, an emerging prevention response to the virus, can greatly recover public health and education. Thus, the study aimed to assess the perception of students towards national efforts at controlling COVID-19 pandemics, the practice of prevention measures, and its associated factors during campus re-entry.
Method and Materials: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 682 Debre Berhan University (DBU) students from December 1 to 15/2020, when students just get back to school. The data was entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25.0 statistical software for analysis. The perception and practice of the participants were assessed using a scoring system. Binary logistic regression was run to identify significant (p ≤0.05) predictors of COVID-19 prevention practice.
Result: The overall high perception and good practice of prevention behaviors were 32%, 95% CI (28.8–35.2), and 37.5%, 95% CI (33.7–41.2), respectively. Being female (AOR (CI) =1.67(1.17-2.37), rural residence (AOR (CI)= 1.56(1.07-2.29), fathers’ education (AOR (CI)= 1.94(1.06-3.56), having respiratory disease (AOR (CI)= 2.81(1.32-5.95), and information source from YouTube (AOR (CI)= 1.87(1.19-2.91) were significant factors of COVID-19 prevention practice. Besides, a high perception towards national efforts at controlling COVID-19 (AOR (CI)= 2.94(2.04-4.25) was positively associated with the practice of prevention measures.
Conclusion: During school reopening, most students had a low perception towards national efforts at controlling COVID-19 and poor prevention practice. Socio-demographics, having a chronic illness, information source, and perception towards national efforts were factors of COVID-19 prevention practice. Thus, raising the perception about the national efforts, promoting precautionary measures, managing chronic illnesses, and disseminating information through YouTubes are critical to prevent and control COVID-19 during campus re-entry.