Knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 among healthcare students: A cross-sectional study at the University of Zambia

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the disruption of physical classes for university students globally, as large gatherings fuelled the transmission of the virus. In the efforts to mitigate its transmission and return to normality, prevention measures, including vaccination, have been encouraged. Therefore, it is critical to understand the knowledge and practices of students regarding COVID-19. This study assessed the knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 among healthcare students at the University of Zambia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried out from August 2021 to October 2021 among 478 healthcare students (pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing, biomedical, medicine, and radiography). We used a previously validated questionnaire to measure knowledge and practice. The predictors of knowledge and practices were assessed using logistic regression with robust estimation of standard errors. Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata/BE version 17.0. RESULTS: Of the 478 respondents, 243 (50.8%) were females. A larger proportion, 175 (36.6%) were in Pharmacy training, and 156 (32.6%) were in their fifth year of study. The overall mean knowledge score of the participants was 87.9 (SD = 16.1), being higher at 89.6 (SD = 14.3) among medical students and the lowest at 86.7 (SD = 17.1) among Pharmacy students, although this was statistically non-significant (p = 0.488). The overall mean practice score was 60.0 (SD = 24.7), being significantly higher at 63.5 (23.4) among nursing, physiotherapy and environmental students compared to other students (p = 0.048). In multivariable analysis, the participant training program was non-significantly associated with knowledge and practice toward COVID-19. However, increased age (AOR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.117) and residing in urban areas (AOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.07-3.01) than in rural areas were associated with higher odds of good practice toward COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The healthcare students generally showed good knowledge levels and poor practices toward COVID-19. Further, there was no evidence of a difference in knowledge of COVID-19 among healthcare students. These findings suggest the need for implementation strategies to be centered on improving the practices of students toward COVID-19

Data_Sheet_1_Knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 among healthcare students: A cross-sectional study at the University of Zambia.PDF

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to the disruption of physical classes for university students globally, as large gatherings fuelled the transmission of the virus. In the efforts to mitigate its transmission and return to normality, prevention measures, including vaccination, have been encouraged. Therefore, it is critical to understand the knowledge and practices of students regarding COVID-19. This study assessed the knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 among healthcare students at the University of Zambia.Materials and methodsThis questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried out from August 2021 to October 2021 among 478 healthcare students (pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing, biomedical, medicine, and radiography). We used a previously validated questionnaire to measure knowledge and practice. The predictors of knowledge and practices were assessed using logistic regression with robust estimation of standard errors. Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata/BE version 17.0.ResultsOf the 478 respondents, 243 (50.8%) were females. A larger proportion, 175 (36.6%) were in Pharmacy training, and 156 (32.6%) were in their fifth year of study. The overall mean knowledge score of the participants was 87.9 (SD = 16.1), being higher at 89.6 (SD = 14.3) among medical students and the lowest at 86.7 (SD = 17.1) among Pharmacy students, although this was statistically non-significant (p = 0.488). The overall mean practice score was 60.0 (SD = 24.7), being significantly higher at 63.5 (23.4) among nursing, physiotherapy and environmental students compared to other students (p = 0.048). In multivariable analysis, the participant training program was non-significantly associated with knowledge and practice toward COVID-19. However, increased age (AOR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01–1.117) and residing in urban areas (AOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.07–3.01) than in rural areas were associated with higher odds of good practice toward COVID-19.ConclusionThe healthcare students generally showed good knowledge levels and poor practices toward COVID-19. Further, there was no evidence of a difference in knowledge of COVID-19 among healthcare students. These findings suggest the need for implementation strategies to be centered on improving the practices of students toward COVID-19.</p

Antimicrobial stewardship: knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antimicrobial use and resistance among non-healthcare students at the University of Zambia.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to the world and could become humanity's next major challenge. This study assessed non-healthcare students' knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR at the University of Zambia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 443 non-healthcare students from August to October 2022 using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 24.0. RESULTS: Of the 433 participants, 55.2%, 63.5% and 45% had moderate KAP scores regarding AMU and AMR. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was 76.7%. Male participants were less likely to have good knowledge (OR = 0.524, 95% CI: 0.347-0.792) and positive attitudes (OR = 0.585, 95% CI: 0.364-0.940) towards AMU and AMR compared with females. Students who were studying Engineering and Mining were more likely to have good knowledge of AMR (OR = 1.891, 95% CI: 1.197-2.987) compared with those in Social Sciences. Those who were in their fourth and fifth years were more likely to have positive attitudes towards AMU and AMR (OR = 1.851, 95% CI: 1.147-2.986) compared with those who were in the first, second and third years. Finally, students who practised self-medication were less likely to have good self-reported practice towards AMR (OR = 0.442, 95% CI: 0.278-0.702) compared with those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that non-healthcare students had moderate KAP regarding AMU and AMR. All university students should be provided with education about AMU and AMR through free short courses, seminars, workshops, and AMR and antimicrobial stewardship awareness campaigns

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of community pharmacy professionals on poultry antimicrobial dispensing, use and resistance in Zambia : implications on antibiotic stewardship and WHO AWaRe classification of antibiotics

Globally, the inappropriate dispensing and use of antibiotics in animals has contributed to the development of bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In Zambia, there is insufficient infor-mation among community pharmacy professionals on antibiotic use (AMU) and AMR in food-producing animals. This study assessed community pharmacy professionals' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding poultry antibiotic dispensing, use, and bacterial AMR the Lusaka district of Zambia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 178 community pharmacy pro-fessionals between February and April 2022 using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Stata version 17. Of the total participants (n=178), 51.1% (n=91) were pharmacists. The most dispensed antibiotic was oxytetracycline, a Watch antibiotic, mainly without prescrip-tions. Good knowledge of AMU and AMR was associated with work experience for more than one year (p=0.016), while good practices were associated with male gender (p=0.039) and work expe-rience of more than one year (p=0.011). The study found moderate knowledge, positive attitudes and moderate practices of pharmacy professionals on poultry AMU and AMR. There was high dispensing of poultry antibiotics without prescriptions, which calls for strict implementation of antimicrobial stewardship and surveillance programs in poultry production in Zambia to reduce AMR