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Medical Students and COVID-19: Knowledge, Preventive Behaviors, and Risk Perception

Author

Listed:
  • Mansour Alsoghair

    (Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia)

  • Mohammad Almazyad

    (Department of General Surgery, National Guard Hospital, Eastern Province 34217, Saudi Arabia)

  • Tariq Alburaykan

    (Department of Internal Medicine, Buraidah Central Hospital, Qassim 52361, Saudi Arabia)

  • Abdulrhman Alsultan

    (Department of Anatomy and Histology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia)

  • Abdulmajeed Alnughaymishi

    (Department of Family Medicine, Uyun Aljawa General Hospital, Qassim 52347, Saudi Arabia)

  • Sulaiman Almazyad

    (Medical Intern, Unayzah College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia)

  • Meshari Alharbi

    (Medical Resident, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Qassim 52347, Saudi Arabia)

  • Wesam Alkassas

    (Medical Intern, College of Medicine, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, Qassim 52347, Saudi Arabia)

  • Abdulaziz Almadud

    (Medical Intern, Unayzah College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia)

  • Mohammed Alsuhaibani

    (Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim 51452, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is an international public health threat. This study aimed to evaluate COVID-19-related knowledge, preventive behaviors, and risk perception among Saudi Arabian medical students and interns. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among fourth- and fifth-year medical students and interns between June and August 2020 at three colleges of medicine in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. A previously validated questionnaire was distributed as an online survey. Results: The total mean knowledge score was 12.5/15 points; 83.9% achieved a high score. The mean score of self-reported preventive behavior was 8.40; 94.1% achieved a high score. The overall mean risk perception score was 5.34/8 points; 31.6% achieved a high score. Conclusion: Medical students assessed in this study displayed sufficient knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and an average level of risk perception. Lower scores by younger medical students suggest that they must improve their COVID-19 knowledge and risk perception, as they are a potential source of health information in their communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Mansour Alsoghair & Mohammad Almazyad & Tariq Alburaykan & Abdulrhman Alsultan & Abdulmajeed Alnughaymishi & Sulaiman Almazyad & Meshari Alharbi & Wesam Alkassas & Abdulaziz Almadud & Mohammed Alsuhai, 2021. "Medical Students and COVID-19: Knowledge, Preventive Behaviors, and Risk Perception," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-9, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:2:p:842-:d:483321
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ji Soo Kim & Jeong Sil Choi, 2016. "Middle East respiratory syndrome–related knowledge, preventive behaviours and risk perception among nursing students during outbreak," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(17-18), pages 2542-2549, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Qiang Zhang & Banyong Sun & Yaxiong Cheng & Xijie Li, 2021. "Residual Self-Calibration and Self-Attention Aggregation Network for Crop Disease Recognition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-14, August.
    2. Jina Choo & Sooyeon Park & Songwhi Noh, 2021. "Associations of COVID-19 Knowledge and Risk Perception with the Full Adoption of Preventive Behaviors in Seoul," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Aureliusz Andrzej Kosendiak & Bartosz Adamczak & Sylwiusz Kontek & Zofia Kuźnik & Michał Roman & Michał Gostkowski & Arkadiusz Niedziółka, 2023. "Level of Physical Activity, Sleep Quality and Use of Personal Protective Equipment of Students at Wroclaw Medical University during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-28, January.
    4. Alfonso Gastelum-Strozzi & Claudia Infante-Castañeda & Juan Guillermo Figueroa-Perea & Ingris Peláez-Ballestas, 2021. "Heterogeneity of COVID-19 Risk Perception: A Socio-Mathematical Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-14, October.
    5. Young-Mi Jung & Na-Young Kim, 2022. "Factors Affecting Preventive Health Behaviors against COVID-19 in Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-13, May.
    6. Natascha Mojtahedzadeh & Felix Alexander Neumann & Elisabeth Rohwer & Albert Nienhaus & Matthias Augustin & Volker Harth & Birgit-Christiane Zyriax & Stefanie Mache, 2021. "The Health Behaviour of German Outpatient Caregivers in Relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-30, August.

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