Abstract: The outbreak of COVID-19 had affected Australia. One of the ways to control the spread of COVID-19 is to have a good understanding of the disease and correct preventive behaviours.
Purpose: Accessing the knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behaviour towards COVID-19 of high school students in Perth
Methodology: The study was conducted using a questionnaire. A total of 171 students participated. COVID19-related knowledge, attitudes toward COVID-19, and preventive behaviours were assessed. Differences between outcomes and sociodemographic were analysed through independent t-test and the ANOVA. Preventive behaviours were analysed by a generalized linear model.
Findings: Students revealed moderate knowledge about COVID-19, correctly answering 10.48 (SD = 2.36) questions in a total of 15, moderate attitudes toward preventive behaviours 39.39 (SD = 6.17) and good preventive behaviour 42.57 (SD = 7.43), questions in a total of 35. There are statistically significant positive correlations shown: between attitudes toward preventive behaviours and preventive behaviours (r=.646**, p<0.01) and between knowledge about COVID-19 and preventive behaviours (r=.239 **, p<0.01). Attitude toward preventive behaviours (B=.764, p<0.05), Knowledge about COVID-19 (B=.374, p<0.05) and Gender (B=2.037, p<0.05) had significant effects on preventive behaviours.
Conclusion: Students had a good level of preventive behaviour, while their knowledge about COVID-19 and attitude toward preventive behaviour were moderate. Attitude toward preventive behaviour had a positive correlation with preventive behaviour. Attitude toward preventive behaviour, knowledge and gender had significant effects on preventive behaviour. From the results, increasing attitude toward preventive behaviour is recommended to raise the level of preventive behaviour.
Keywords: COVID-19, preventive behaviour, high school students.
Title: Knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behaviours towards COVID 19 of high school students in Perth
Author: Wongwarit Thipthanakan
International Journal of Life Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-313X (Print), ISSN 2348-3148 (online)
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