Social Distancing among Medical Students during the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic in China: Disease Awareness, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, and Behavioral Activities

Huidi Xiao, Wen Shu, Menglong Li, Ziang Li, Fangbiao Tao, Xiaoyan Wu, Yizhen Yu, Heng Meng, Sten H. Vermund and Yifei Hu
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Huidi Xiao: Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
Wen Shu: Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
Menglong Li: Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
Ziang Li: Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
Fangbiao Tao: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
Xiaoyan Wu: Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
Yizhen Yu: Department of Child and Women Health Care, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Heng Meng: Department of Child and Women Health Care, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
Sten H. Vermund: Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Yifei Hu: Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-13

Abstract: Background: During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, harsh social distancing measures were taken in China to contain viral spread. We examined their impact on the lives of medical students. Methods: A nation-wide cross-sectional survey of college students was conducted from 4–12 February 2020. We enrolled medical students studying public health in Beijing and Wuhan to assess their COVID-19 awareness and to evaluate their mental health status/behaviors using a self-administered questionnaire. We used the Patient Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Health Questionnaire-9 to measure anxiety disorders and depression. We used multivariable logistic regression and path analysis to assess the associations between covariates and anxiety disorder/depression. Results: Of 933 students, 898 (96.2%) reported wearing masks frequently when going out, 723 (77.5%) reported daily handwashing with soap, 676 (72.5%) washed hands immediately after arriving home, and 914 (98.0%) reported staying home as much as possible. Prevalence of anxiety disorder was 17.1% and depression was 25.3%. Multivariable logistic regression showed anxiety to be associated with graduate student status (odds ratio (aOR) = 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–3.5), negative thoughts or actions (aOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.4–1.7), and feeling depressed (aOR = 6.8; 95% CI: 4.0–11.7). Beijing students were significantly less likely to have anxiety than those in the Wuhan epicenter (aOR = 0.9; 95% CI: 0.8–1.0), but depression did not differ. Depression was associated with female students (aOR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2–3.3), negative thoughts or actions (aOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.5–1.9), and anxiety disorder (aOR = 5.8; 95% CI: 3.4–9.9). Path analysis validated these same predictors. Conclusions: Despite medical students’ knowledge of disease control and prevention, their lives were greatly affected by social distancing, especially in the Wuhan epicenter. Even well-informed students needed psychological support during these extraordinarily stressful times.

Keywords: COVID-19; anxiety disorder; depression; social distancing; personal protective measures; medical students; knowledge; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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