Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35672723›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2022

Knowledge deficit and fear of COVID-19 among higher education students during the first wave of the pandemic and implications for public health: a multi-country cross-sectional survey.

Neamin M Berhe, Sarah Van de Velde, Fatemeh Rabiee-Khan, Claudia van der Heijde, Peter Vonk, Veerle Buffel, Edwin Wouters, Guido Van Hal

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Study Abroad Angst: A Literature Review on the Mental Health of International Students During COVID-19.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024
    Review
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  4. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Neamin M BerheDepartment of Epidemiology, Medicine & Health Sciences Faculty, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. neaminmichael@gmail.com.
Sarah Van de VeldeCentre for Population, Family and Health, Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Fatemeh Rabiee-KhanFaculty of Health, Education & Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK.
Claudia van der HeijdeDepartment of Student Health Services, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Peter VonkDepartment of Student Health Services, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Veerle BuffelCentre for Population, Family and Health, Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Edwin WoutersCentre for Population, Family and Health, Department of Sociology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Guido Van HalDepartment of Social Epidemiology and Health Policy, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
University of Antwerp · BEUniversity of Amsterdam · NLBirmingham City University · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPublic health measures such as physical distancing and distance learning have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 related knowledge deficit can increase fear that leads to negative mental health and COVID-19, especially among adolescents. Therefore, our study aimed to assess COVID-19 related knowledge deficit and its association with fear among higher education (HE) students during the first wave of COVID-19.

methodsA cross-sectional survey, COVID-19 International Students Well-being Study (C-19 ISWS) was conducted in 133 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in 26 countries between April 27 and July 7, 2020. A stratified convenience sampling technique was used. Descriptive, bivariate, mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were conducted using R software.

resultsOut of 127,362 respondents, 72.1% were female, and 76.5% did not report a previous history of confirmed COVID-19. The majority of those without the previous infection 81,645 (83.7%) were from 21 European countries while the rest 15,850 (16.3%) were from 5 non-European countries. The most frequent correct response to COVID-19 related knowledge questions among respondents was having the virus without having symptoms (94.3%). Compared to participants with good knowledge, the odds of being afraid of acquiring SARS-COV-2 infection among those with poor knowledge was 1.05 (95%CI:1.03,1.08) and the odds of being afraid of contracting severe COVID-19 was 1.36 (95%CI:1.31,1.40).

conclusionCOVID-19 related knowledge was independently associated with both fear of acquiring SARS-COV-2 infection as well as contracting severe COVID-19. Our findings will serve as a basis for public health response for both the current and similar future pandemics by highlighting the need for addressing the COVID-19 knowledge deficit to fight the infodemic and prevent negative mental health outcomes.

Indexed as

COVID-19PandemicsAdolescentCross-Sectional StudiesFearFemaleHumansMaleSARS-CoV-2StudentsSurveys and QuestionnairesCOVID-19FearKnowledgeMixed-effect logistic regressionMulti-countryStudents

Identifiers

PMID35672723
PMCPMC9172614
OpenAlexW4281707485

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.