Knowledge, attitude and practices associated with the use of face mask in prevention of Covid-19 among students of a private tertiary Institution in Nigeria

Abstract

The World Health Organization recommends using a face mask to prevent infection with the coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19). Students are often nonchalant about maintaining physical or social distance from their peers, undermining the necessity of wearing a face mask both inside and outside of the classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine the students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about the use of face masks at Novena University in Ogume, Delta State, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among 400 sampled students. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data while descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data at a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: About 220(55.0%) of the responders were between the ages of 21-25 years, and 260(65.0%) were females. The majority of responders, 340 (85.0%), had a good understanding of how to utilize a face mask. However, both attitudes towards using face masks 280(70.0%) and face mask usage 340(85.0%) were poor. The following demographic characteristics were shown to be substantially linked with knowledge, attitude, and use of face masks: age, sex, marital status, level of study, and religion at p<0.05. Conclusion: The majority of the respondents had an adequate understanding of how to use a face mask, a negative attitude about using a face mask, and poor practice of using a face mask to prevent COVID-19 infection. The study recommends the need for public health enlightenment campaign and education on the value and correct face mask usage among students in tertiary institutions.