Knowledge and practice of COVID-19 prevention

Abstract

Introduction: After reopening of schools and religious educational places, these gathering places become potential places for the outbreak and transmission of COVID-19 infection. The intervention like BRAC CST pe rojects, recruitment of the change agents among the vulnerable people and dissemination of COVID-19 information can enhance the public awareness and application of proper preventive methods among the secondary school students. The ultimate aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and practice of COVID-19 prevention among the grades 6 and 7 schools and equivalent Grades Level of Students from Madrasas in Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh. Methodology: The primary data set of cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaire was exploited in this study which was conducted between the end of 2022 and early 2023 on the grades 6 and 7 students of schools and equivalent grades level of students from madrasas in Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh. Results: Among 1223 students, 75.31% of the students had adequate knowledge (71.57% from class 6 and 79.19% from class 7). There was a statistically significant association between the knowledge level of students in both classes and their location (p<0.05), type of institutions in class 6 (p<0.05) and gender in only class 7 (p<0.05). The logistic regression showed that the students from Pekua upazila had lesser odds of having adequate knowledge (AOR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.28-0.53, p<0.05). In addition, the female students had higher odds of having adequate knowledge (AOR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.13-1.96, p<0.05). Moreover, the students from class 7 of both institutions had higher odds of having adequate knowledge (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.28-2.24, p<0.001). Based on practice level, 87.82% of students had adequate practice (86.45% from class 6 and 88.95% from class 7). In class 6, there was a statistically significant association between practice level of students and their location (p<0.05) and only gender from class 7 (p<0.05). There was no statistically association between adequate practice of students and their socio-demographic characteristic while we calculated the logistic regression. Conclusion: This study illustrated that most of the students from class 6 and 7 had adequate knowledge and adequate practice on COVID-19 prevention. The health information session about COVID-19 prevention should more focus in the rural area.