Orunta Pamela Chidinma, Ndu Chinomso Obianuju, Ijioma Chimaobi Ezekiel, Ogedegbe Oboseh J, Ogundipe Funmilola Abosede, Eze-Njoku Chioma P
Pediatrics, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, NGA.
Family Medicine, North Texas Family Practice, Mesquite, USA.
Cureus. 2024 Jul 20;16(7):e64984. doi: 10.7759/cureus.64984. eCollection 2024 Jul.
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed significant challenges worldwide, particularly in developing countries with limited healthcare resources. Among the various demographics, adolescents represent a crucial group in understanding and curbing the spread of the virus. Aim This research aims to assess the level of knowledge and practice of COVID-19 prevention measures among adolescents in a developing country. Methodology This study's descriptive cross-sectional study design was appropriate for capturing a snapshot of adolescents' understanding of COVID-19 in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria, a developing country. The study's participants were secondary school students in Umuahia's urban and rural secondary schools, aged 10-19. Fisher's formula was used to calculate the sample size. A multistage systematic sampling method was used to select 424 participants. Data were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 25 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY) was used to handle and evaluate the data that had been obtained. Results All the respondents were aware of COVID-19, primarily informed through social media and television (TV). It is concerning that less than half correctly identify the disease as caused by a virus (46.9%), with some falsely attributing it to bacteria (31.1%) or fungi (15.6%). While the majority of respondents knew about the existence of COVID-19 vaccines, only 63.4% were aware that there was no definitive cure for the disease. The most worrying finding was the limited awareness and practice of recommended precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Handwashing with soap and water, social distancing, and using hand sanitizers were the most frequently recognized precautions. However, even these were poorly practiced, with less than 30% of the respondents following them regularly. It was also noted that misconceptions about precautions exist, including unusual practices such as regularly drinking hot water or eating bitter kola/pepperfruit. Also, the most prominent reason for refusal among the respondents for COVID-19 vaccines was parental refusal, accounting for 57.5% of negative responses. Conclusion The study's findings underscore the urgent need for tailored, accessible, and effective health education strategies to improve adolescents' understanding and adoption of COVID-19 preventive measures in the region.
背景 2019 冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行在全球范围内带来了重大挑战，尤其是在医疗资源有限的发展中国家。在不同人群中，青少年是理解和遏制病毒传播的关键群体。目的 本研究旨在评估一个发展中国家青少年对 COVID-19 预防措施的知识水平和实践情况。方法 本研究采用描述性横断面研究设计，适合捕捉尼日利亚阿比亚州乌穆阿希亚市青少年对 COVID-19 的理解情况，该市是一个发展中国家。研究参与者为乌穆阿希亚市城乡中学年龄在 10 - 19 岁的中学生。使用费舍尔公式计算样本量。采用多阶段系统抽样方法选取 424 名参与者。通过自填问卷收集数据。使用社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）25 版（IBM SPSS Statistics，纽约州阿蒙克）处理和评估所获得的数据。结果 所有受访者都知晓 COVID-19，主要通过社交媒体和电视得知。令人担忧的是，不到一半的人正确识别该疾病是由病毒引起（46.9%），一些人错误地将其归因于细菌（31.1%）或真菌（15.6%）。虽然大多数受访者知道 COVID-19 疫苗的存在，但只有 63.4%的人意识到该疾病没有确切的治愈方法。最令人担忧的发现是对预防 COVID-19 传播的推荐预防措施的认识和实践有限。用肥皂和水洗手、保持社交距离以及使用洗手液是最常被认可的预防措施。然而，即使是这些措施也执行得很差，不到 30%的受访者经常遵循这些措施。还注意到存在对预防措施的误解，包括一些不寻常的做法，如经常喝热水或吃可乐果/胡椒果。此外，受访者中拒绝接种 COVID-19 疫苗的最主要原因是父母拒绝，占负面回应的 57.5%。结论 该研究结果强调迫切需要制定针对性强、易于获取且有效的健康教育策略，以提高该地区青少年对 COVID-19 预防措施的理解和采用率。
