Is It Necessary to Maintain Social Distancing during the COVID-۱۹ Pandemic? An Assessment of Students’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice

Aims: Social distancing is one of the most effective methods to control the transmission of Covid-۱۹. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of social distancing in students. Instrument & Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on ۳۴۲ students of Iranshahr University of Medical Sciences. Sampling was performed electronically using the availability sampling method. Data collection tools were a questionnaire of demographic information and a questionnaire designed for measuring students’ social distancing knowledge, attitude, and practice. Data were analyzed in SPSS version ۱۶ using descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Findings: The mean age of participants was ۲۱.۵۶±۲.۱۱. Out of ۳۴۲ participants, ۲۲۲ (۶۴.۹%) were female, ۸۴.۲% were single, and ۸۴.۸% were living in urban areas. The median social distancing knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were ۶±۱, ۴۸±۴, and ۱۶±۳, respectively. Out of the ۳۴۲ surveyed students, ۸۵.۴% showed a good level of social distancing knowledge, ۷۶% showed a good attitude towards social distancing, ۲۲.۸% showed a moderate attitude, and none (۰%) showed a poor attitude. However, only ۰.۶% of the surveyed students earned good social distancing practice scores. Conclusion: Despite the good social distancing knowledge and attitude scores of the surveyed students, they were doing poorly in practicing social distancing.

کلیدواژه ها:

Knowledge ، Attitude ، Practice ، Social Distancing ، Covid-۱۹ ، Coronavirus