Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards COVID-19 among Senior High School Students within the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Philemon Ametei, Edward K. Sutherland

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 has ravaged the world since its incidence in the year 2019 in Wuhan, China. Its incidence was accompanied by high levels of morbidities and mortalities, thus, creating a shakeup in various health systems across the globe and with little information on knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 in Ghana and no information on KAP towards COVID-19 in Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, this study is to explore the KAP of Senior High School student?s towards COVID-19 to inform policy to guide schools as they reopen. Methods: This was a quantitative cross-sectional study conducted in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of Ghana between January to March 2021 among 441 randomly selected Senior High School Students using a modified structured questionnaire that had four (4) sections as adapted from Peng et al., (2020). The average age of the study participants was 17?2 years. Analysis was done using Chi-square estimation and Multivariate logistic regression models with a p-value < 0.05 as the threshold for statistical significance respectively. A linear correlation test between KAP was also carried out. Results: Out of 441 students, 241 (54.65%) were females, 343 (77.78%) attended public senior high school and 213 (48.30%) were in their second year. The majority of the students (32.43%) were in the General Arts program among whom57.37%, demonstrated good knowledge,29.48% good attitude, and 76.87%. good practices. There was a positive linear correlation between knowledge and attitude, attitude and practice, and knowledge and practice. Students in the private schools were less likely to have a poor knowledge compared to their counterparts in the government schools [OR=0.189, 95% CI=0.05-0.65] and students in the boarding house were less likely to demonstrate poor practices toward COVID-19 preventive measures compared to their counterparts who stayed at home [OR=0.545, 95% CI=0.23-0.91] as no variable was statistically significant for the attitudes of students towards COVID-19. Conclusion: Senior high school students in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality showed a good level of knowledge, and practice as well as a bad level of attitudes towards COVID-19. Their knowledge levels directly affected their attitudes and practice levels. Students in the private schools had good knowledge about COVID-19 and students in boarding houses demonstrated good practices in prevention of the spread of COVID-19.

Keywords: Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, COVID-19

How to Cite?: Philemon Ametei, Edward K. Sutherland, "Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards COVID-19 among Senior High School Students within the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana", Volume 11 Issue 6, June 2022, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 644-653, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=MR22604193824, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/MR22604193824