COVID-19 and Adolescents of Chengalpattu District: A Cross-sectional Study

  • Raja TK Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamilnadu, India.
  • Buvnesh Kumar M Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamilnadu, India.
  • Sasithra S Postgraduate, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamilnadu, India.
  • Divyaparvathy J Postgraduate, Department of Community Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chengalpattu, Tamilnadu, India.
Keywords: Corona, SARS-CoV-2, Pandemic, Virus, Younger Age

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 is a potential public health concern which was identified and declared as public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation.

Objective: To assess the knowledge and standard COVID-19 preventive practicing methods followed during pandemic among adolescents in the urban areas of Chengalpattu district.

Methods: A Community based cross-sectional study was conducted among the adolescents (10 years to 19 years) in urban field practising areas of a tertiary care private hospital during the second COVID wave. Data were collected through simple random sampling technique from 170 adolescents in the sampled households through face-to-face interview of respondents. Statistical analysis done using institutional licensed IBM-SPSS version 21.0 software.

Results: Majority of the study participants 53.5% were between the ages of 15 and 19. Of the participants, 52.4% were perusing their higher/higher secondary education. Female respondents were 51.8% in the present study. 67% had good knowledge regarding the corona virus and 82% had good COVID-19 preventive practice during the pandemic.

Conclusion: Lack of equivalent knowledge emphasises the need of educating the younger community about the novel virus. Appropriate measures to improve COVID-19 knowledge should be taken by relevant stakeholders in view of yielding equilibrium between preventive practice and knowledge so that the disease will be eradicated in near future.

How to cite this article:
Raja TK, Buvnesh Kumar M, Sasithra S, Divyaparvathy J. COVID-19 and Adolescents of Chengalpattu District: A Cross-sectional Study. Special Issue - COVID-19 & Other Communicable Disease. 2022;56-61.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202209

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Published
2022-03-15