ABSTRACT
Background: Understanding of public awareness on public health issues is very crucial, including the current health crisis of COVID-19. This research aimed to examine the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Students towards COVID-19. Design and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among secondary school students in grades 10-12. Proportional sample allocation was used in 16 randomly selected schools. Moreover, the schools were recruited by using a systematic random sampling technique. Socio-demographic data and questions of the knowledge, attitude and practice were collected by interview. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the associated factors and p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the 357 participants the level of good knowledge, positive attitude, and optimal practice were 65.2%, 66.7% and 89.4% respectively. Regression analyses showed that being in the adolescent age group (15-16 years old), living with >5 family size, and family with a good income effectively predicted knowledge level. Attitudes towards COVID-19, male students were pessimistic about COVID-19 prevention and control measures as opposed to their female counterparts [aOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.21-0.71). Students with awareness of the virus demonstrated greater (two-fold) odds of a positive attitude as opposed to their less-conscious counterparts. The urban-area male students were demonstrated a higher (three-fold) odds of good practice level towards COVID-19 prevention and control measures as opposed to their rural-area female counterparts. Conclusion: A good knowledge level denoted a positive attitude despite the lack of information. Meanwhile, good preventive measure practices and behaviours reflected high levels.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global crisis, creating an unprecedented situation, which has taken the world by storm, overshadowing on all life' aspects and having a significant impact on the health systems of most countries. In this study, the delivery of health services is investigated both before and during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at public hospitals in Yemen to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the utilisation of health services. METHOD: Data collected from 127 hospitals in Yemen were reviewed using the DHIS2 system. The data represented 3 months before the outbreak of COVID-19 between January and March 2020 and during the outbreak of COVID-19 outbreak between April and June 2020. The results were then compared with the same period in 2019. The utilisation pattern of healthcare services during the period of investigation was compiled and analysed by applying a generalised estimating equation (GEE) to examine the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak in Yemen. The data collected from the targeted hospitals included information related to consultations, surgeries, deliveries, C-sections and penta-3rd dose immunisation. RESULTS: The trendline of health services used during the pandemic showed a gradual decline beginning from April 2020 for consultations, surgeries and penta-3rd dose utilisation. The GEE model revealed a significant effect (p<0.05) during the outbreak compared with preoutbreak in the consultation services (B=-1,343.9; 95% CI -1,767.2 to -920.6; χ2=38.718), surgeries (B=-54.98; 95% CI -79.13 to -30.83, χ2=19.911) and penta-3rd dose (B=-24.47; 95% CI -30.56 to -18.38 and χ2=62.010). As for deliveries and C-sections, the results were shown to be statistically non-significant. CONCLUSION: The impact of COVID-19 on continuity of health services delivery in Yemen has been distinct and profound, where the study revealed that the number of the consultations, surgeries and number of vaccinated children have been declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely due to the partially lockdown measures taken and fear of being infected. However, the deliveries and C-section services remained nearly in the same level and did not affect by the COVID-19 pandemic.
