Adherence to Preventive Measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic among University Students in Sudan

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019, otherwise known as COVID-19, emerged in December of 2019. COVID-19 spreads through an airborne transmission route. Preventive measures were described to help decrease the spread of COVID-19 worldwide. There were a number of preventive measures that were globally adopted: social distance of at least 1 meter, mask wearing, washing hands for 20 seconds, and covering the mouth and nose if the person sneezes or coughs. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study among 362 students from the International University of Africa, Sudan, was carried out between August 2021 and September 2022. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used for data analysis; frequency and percentage were used to describe the qualitative variables. A chi-square test was used for association analysis; a P -value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among study participants, the females were 70.9%; most were 20 - 23 years old (73.6%). 54.2% were vaccinated against COVID-19; 83.6% had good knowledge regarding the mode of transmission, and 76.1% stayed in during quarantine. 80.6% of participants understood social distancing correctly. 76.1% of males and 45.1% of females started or completed vaccination ( P ≤ 0.05). 51.4% of males and 81.3% of females adhered to preventive measures ( P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: It is important to target health education campaigns and interventions to improve adherence to preventive measures among university students. Although the pandemic is coming to an end, a lesson should be learned from it, and future preparation should be employed.