Analysis of factors affecting the implementation of Covid-19 standard operating procedures among students living outside the university

Abstract

The study aimed to establish the factors affecting implementation of COVID 19 SOPs among students residing outside the University. A cross sectional design was applied. The study was carried out basing on the use of quantitative and descriptive designs to establish the factors that affect the implementation of COVID 19 SOPs among students residing outside the university. To answer the objectives of the study the respondents were asked questions about their demographic characteristics, social economic, socio behavioral, psychological factors and adherence to preventive measures. To measure the level of compliance to COVID 19 SOPs, a Likert scale was generated using the five preventive measures; frequent handwashing with water and soap or alcohol based sanitizer for at least 20 seconds, wearing mask in public, social distancing, covering mouth with tissue while sneezing and avoiding touching eyes, nose and ears with unwashed hands. Data from 90 respondents (mean age: 22 years; range 19-29) 53.67% were male.71.11% reported frequently washing hands with water or alcohol based sanitizer for at least 20 seconds,28.89 reported avoiding touching their eyes, mouth and nose with unwashed hands, 82.22% reported wearing mask in public, 55.56% reported covering mouth with tissue while sneezing and 55.56% reported social distancing. Generally, only 13.33% of the respondents reported adhering to all the preventive measures of interest, there was 5.56% of the respondents that reported not adhering to any of the preventive measures and majority of the respondents (25.56%) reported high adherence, which means they adhered to four of the preventive measures in question. Factors that were found to affect the implementation of COVID 19 SOPs were participation in regular physical exercises and health feeding, and probability of getting infected with COVID 19. In conclusion, implementation of the COVID 19 SOPs was very low hence, the government and university administration should expand behavior change programs using health workers and other leaders and more emphasis should be on the males.