Infect Chemother.  2021 Mar;53(1):107-117. 10.3947/ic.2020.0152.

The Levels of COVID-19 Related Health Literacy among University Students in Vietnam

Affiliations
  • 1School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Samuels Building, F25, Samuel Terry Ave, Kensington, Australia
  • 2Faculty of Nursing, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia ward, Ha Dong district, Hanoi, Vietnam
  • 3Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

Background
Vietnam is among the few countries that were successful in the fight against the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, subsequent domestic outbreaks of COVID-19 continue to occur. To sharp the community education program to guarantee the final success in the fight against COVID-19 in Vietnam and comparable countries, we examined the levels of COVID-19 knowledge and associated predictors among university students in Vietnam.
Materials and Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted on all students enrolling at Phenikaa University using a self-developed questionnaire consisted of 20 questions regarding COVID-19's risk factors, transmission routes, symptoms, and prevention.
Results
Among 728 participants, 40.9% were male, 63.2% studied health-related majors, and 18.1% lived alone. Correct response rates ranged from 25.3% to 98.9% across 20 questions. Only 51.9% (378/728) of participants had good knowledge levels. Studying health majors (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.547, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.398 - 0.751, P <0.001), and living with the seniors (AOR 0.612, 95% CI 0.389 - 0.963, P= 0.034) or with friends (AOR 0.405, 95% CI 0.252 – 0.650, P <0.001) were negatively associated with a poor level of COVID-19 knowledge.
Conclusion
The proportion of university students having good knowledge levels is suboptimal. It is essential to improve the quality of COVID-19 education with a more focus on not only the preventive measures, but also the disease itself. More studies are needed to improve the level of COVID-19 knowledge among those living alone or do not study healthrelated majors.

Keyword

COVID-19 knowledge; Vietnam; University students; Community education
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