Knowledge and perception of middle school students regarding COVID-19 disease at the start of the pandemic

Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2022 Mar;50(2):164-172. doi: 10.1002/bmb.21600. Epub 2022 Jan 11.

Abstract

Facing recent threats of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an educational strategy was designed and applied to middle school students in order to reinforce related knowledge and behaviors. A group of 65 middle school students (14-18 years old) developed several designed online curricular activities. After the intervention, students answered a questionnaire to assess if they: (a) were familiar with the terms COVID 19 and SARS-CoV-2; (b) were conscious about the importance of preventive measures to stop the spread of this disease; (c) were engaged in these activities; (d) were motivated to research on health-related issues. This study was a first to attempt to evaluate student's perceptions about SARS-CoV-2 infection and support education regarding COVID-19, mainly on the reinforcement of preventive measures.

Keywords: COVID19; SARS-CoV-2; e@d; knowledge attitudes/practices on COVID 19; middle school level.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Pandemics*
  • Perception
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Students
  • Surveys and Questionnaires