Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Use, Reuse and Disposal of Face Masks during COVID-19 Pandemic amongst University Students of Karachi

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study is intended to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice towards use, reuse and disposal of face masks amongst university students of Karachi. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in a period of 1 month on the students of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Bahria University of Medical and Dental College, Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Iqra University, SZABIST, Bahria University, and Karachi University. Non-probability convenience sampling was used to conduct an online questionnaire survey assessing personal information, knowledge and attitude toward face mask disposal. Results: A total of 386 valid questionnaires were included in the study. 87.3 % of participants wear face masks regularly. Only 24.4 % of students had adequate knowledge about face masks disposal. The majority of participants discarded the face masks in general trash bins, which is very alarming for public health. 39.1 % showed a positive attitude towards cooperating always with relevant authorities on face masks disposal. 69.2 % were very concerned about hazards associated with improper face masks disposal. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the necessity of policies and strict implementation should be introduced by relevant authorities to ensure the proper use and disposal of face masks in order to narrow the gap the university students have towards the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding use, reuse and disposal of face masks. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Annals of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital & Karachi Medical & Dental College is the property of Knowledge Bylanes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)