COVID-19 Prevention Behavior and Quality of Life among University Students Living in Dorms during the COVID-19 Endemic Situation
Keywords:
COVID-19 prevention behavior, Quality of life (qol), University studentAbstract
This study aims to evaluate the COVID-19 prevention behavior and quality of life (QoL) among undergraduate students residing in Nopparat dormitory at Khon Kaen University in Thailand. Additionally, the study identifies the factors related to COVID-19 prevention behavior and QoL during the endemic. The inclusion criteria were Thai undergraduate students enrolled in the first semester of 2023 who currently reside in Nopparat dormitory and are willing to participate. The WINPEPPI program calculated 253 samples, and the data collected was through an online self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied for data analysis. The response rate was 99.2%, and most of the sample was female (67.7%), with a mean age of 19.9 (SD 1.4) years old. The study found that 57.4% (95% CI 50.99, 63.52) of participants exhibited a fair level of COVID-19 prevention behaviors, and 84.9% (95% CI 79.68, 88.94) had a good level of QoL during the endemic. The study shows that the perceived social support from friends is significantly related to COVID-19 prevention behavior. Additionally, the presence of underlying illnesses, feelings of sadness, depression, and hopelessness experienced in the last two weeks, perception of receiving advice and care from friends, quality of sleep, and smoking status were related to the level of QoL (p-value < 0.05). This study provides valuable information to improve COVID-19 prevention programs, enhance the quality of life for university students, and significant related factors are recommended for intervention.
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