COLLEGE CONVERSION INTO QUARANTINE CENTER: STUDENTS' PERCEPTION ON SAFETY AT KENYA MEDICAL TRAINING COLLEGE, MOMBASA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jep.448Keywords:
Conducive, COVID-19, Kenya Medical Training College, Mombasa, Perception, Quarantine centre, Safety, StudentAbstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the perception of students of Kenya Medical Training College Mombasa on its safety after conversion into a quarantine center.
Methodology: The study was conducted at KMTC Mombasa, using a descriptive cross-sectional design, where students were selected using multistage sampling. Sample size determination was done using Fischer's statistical formula at a confidence level of 95% (p=95%). Data was collected using a structured online survey questionnaire and a focused group discussion. Analysis of data was done using SPSS and results presented in Excel tables and narrations.
Findings: 65.2% (165) of the students felt the college was safe for resumption of studies while 34.8% (88) felt the college was unsafe. 56% (93) of those who felt the college was safe stated that safety is a personal responsibility and that they would observe the recommended measures. 22% (36) had confidence that the institution would implement all the measures possible to ensure safety of the facility upon reopening. Two reasons advanced by the students as to why they felt the college was unsafe were; proximity of the college to an isolation center and interaction with other students cited by 31% (27) and 30% (26) of the students respectively. The study demonstrated a significant relationship between students' department and how comfortable they were to use the hostels after getting back to college (p=0.036). Students felt safest to use the library while the toilets were the least safe.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and Policy: The perception of students towards safety of their learning institution after its use as quarantine center during a pandemic has not been reported in literature. The findings of this study are important for leaders and policy makers across sectors in guiding decision making in instances where public facilities may need to be converted to serve other purposes. Stakeholders may have reservations as to whether the usual users are going to feel safe in such facilities after its temporary use.
Downloads
References
Adisa, S., & Simpeh, F. (2019). Student perceptions of the safety and security risk of on-campus student housing facilities. 2019 IEEE Asia-Pacific Conference on Computer Science and Data Engineering (CSDE). https://doi.org/10.1109/csde48274.2019.9162378
Adongo, P. B., Tabong, P. T., Asampong, E., Ansong, J., Robalo, M., & Adanu, R. M. (2017). Beyond knowledge and awareness: Addressing misconceptions in Ghana's preparation towards an outbreak of Ebola virus disease. PLOS ONE, 11(2), e0149627. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149627
Al Tompkins,S (2020, June 17). COVID-19 is making it difficult to find a safe public toilet. Poynter. https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2020/covid-19-is-making-it-difficult-to-find-a-safe-public-toilet/
Al-Rabiaah, A., Temsah, M. H., Al-Eyadhy, A. A., Hasan, G. M., Al-Zamil, F., Al-Subaie, S., Alsohime, F., Jamal, A., Alhaboob, A., Al-Saadi, B., & Somily, A. M. (2020). Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) associated stress among medical students at a university teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. Journal of infection and public health, 13(5), 687-691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2020.01.005
Alzoubi, H., Alnawaiseh, N., Al-Mnayyis, A., Abu- Lubad, M., Aqel, A., & Al-Shagahin, H. (2020). COVID-19 - Knowledge, attitude and practice among medical and non-medical University students in Jordan. Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 14(1), 17-24. https://doi.org/10.22207/jpam.14.1.04
Amoatemaa, A., Kyeremeh, D., & Arthur, Y. (2017). Students perception of campus safety: A case of Kumasi campus of University of education, Winneba, Ghana. Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences, 3(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.9734/arjass/2017/32265
Ashraf I. Khasawneh1, Anas Abu Humeidan2, Jomana W. Alsulaiman3, Sarah Bloukh2, Mohannad Ramadan4, Tariq N. Al-Shatanawi5, Hasan H. Awad4, Waleed Y. Hijazi4, Kinda R. Al-Kammash4, Nail Obeidat4, Tareq Saleh1 and Khalid A. Kheirallah4*. (2020, May 29). Medical Students and COVID-19: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Precautionary Measures. A Descriptive Study From Jordan. Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00253
Billups, F.D (2011). College Student Perceptions of Student Life Programs. NERA Conference Proceedings. Retrieved from https://opencommons.uconn.edu/nera_2011/13
Dryhurst S., Claudia R. Schneider, John Kerr, Alexandra L. J. Freeman, Gabriel Recchia, Anne Marthe van der Bles, David Spiegelhalter & Sander van der Linden (2020) Risk perceptions of COVID-19 around the world, Journal of Risk Research, DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2020.1758193
D'Souza, P. M. (2020, July 2). Students, colleges in fix as hostels turn Covid centres. The New Indian Express. https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2020/jul/02/students-colleges-in-fix-as-hostels-turn-covid-centres-2164229.html
Education, M. of. (2020). Kenya_basic_Education_COVID-19_Emergency_Response_Plan-compressed.pdf. retrieved from https://www.education.go.ke/index.php/downloads
Elnadi, H., Odetokun, I. A., Bolarinwa, O., Ahmed, Z., Okechukwu, O., & Al-Mustapha, A. I. (2020). Knowledge, attitude, and perceptions towards the 2019 coronavirus pandemic: A Bi-national survey in Africa. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.27.20113951
Geldsetzer, P. (2020). Knowledge and perceptions of COVID-19 among the general public in the United States and the United Kingdom: A cross-sectional online survey. Annals of Internal Medicine, 173(2), 157-160. https://doi.org/10.7326/m20-0912
Gilavand A. (2016). Investigating the Impact of Environmental Factors on Learning and Academic Achievement of Elementary Students: International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences. Retrieved from5. 360-369.
Hager, E., Odetokun, I. A., Bolarinwa, O., Zainab, A., Okechukwu, O., & Al-Mustapha, A. I. (2020). Knowledge, attitude, and perceptions towards the 2019 coronavirus pandemic: A Bi-national survey in Africa. PLOS ONE, 15(7), e0236918. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236918
Ilesanmi O., and Alele F. O. (2016). Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Ebola Virus Disease among Secondary School Students in Ondo State, Nigeria, October, 2014. PLoS Curr. 2016; 8:ecurrents.outbreaks.c04b88cd5cd03cccb99e125657eecd76. Published 2016 Mar 4. doi:10.1371/currents.outbreaks.c04b88cd5cd03cccb99e125657eecd76
Irma Melyani Puspitasari, Lutfiah Yusuf, Rano K Sinuraya, Rizky Abdulah, & Hiroshi Koyama. (2020, July 30). Knowledge, attitude, and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: A review. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7407756/#cit0015
Kebede, Y., Yitayih, Y., Birhanu, Z., Mekonen, S., & Ambelu, A. (2020). Knowledge, perceptions and preventive practices towards COVID-19 among Jimma University Medical Center visitors, Southwest Ethiopia. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-25865/v1
Khasawneh, A. I., Humeidan, A. A., Alsulaiman, J. W., Bloukh, S., Ramadan, M., Al-Shatanawi, T. N., Awad, H. H., Hijazi, W. Y., Al-Kammash, K. R., Obeidat, N., Saleh, T., & Kheirallah, K. A. (2020). Medical students and COVID-19: Knowledge, attitudes, and precautionary measures. A descriptive study from Jordan. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00253
KMTC. (2020). The Ministry of Health Receives Donation to boost the war on COVID 19. Retrieved on July 16 2020 from https://kmtc.ac.ke/site/5104
Knvul Sheikh. (2020, June 16). Flushing the toilet may fling coronavirus aerosols all over. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/health/coronavirus-toilets-flushing.html
McFadden, S. M., Malik, A. A., Aguolu, O. G., Willebrand, K. S., & Omer, S. B. (2020). Perceptions of the adult US population regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak. PLOS ONE, 15(4), e0231808. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231808
Nazir, J., & Pedretti, E. (2015). Educators' perceptions of bringing students to environmental consciousness through engaging outdoor experiences. Environmental Education Research, 22(2), 288-304. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2014.996208
Nussbaumer-Streit B, Mayr V, AIulia D, Chapman A, Persad E, Klerings I, Wagner G, Siebert U, Christof C, Zachariah C, Gartlehner G. Quarantine alone or in combination with other public health measures to control COVID-19: a rapid review. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD013574. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013574
Paltiel, A. D., Zheng, A., & Walensky, R. P. (2020). Assessment of SARS-Cov-2 screening strategies to permit the safe reopening of college campuses in the United States. JAMA Network Open, 3(7), e2016818. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.16818
Rubin, J. E., & Crowe, S. E. (2020). Annals of internal medicine®. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(1), ITC1-ITC14. https://doi.org/10.7326/AWED202001070
Sari, D. K., Amelia, R., Dharmajaya, R., Sari, L. M., & Fitri, N. K. (2020, June 20). Positive Correlation Between General Public Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding COVID-19 Outbreak 1 Month After First Cases Reported in Indonesia. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32583360/
Taghrir, M. H., Borazjani, R., & Shiraly, R. (2020). COVID-19 and Iranian medical students; A survey on their related-knowledge, preventive behaviors and risk perception. Archives of Iranian Medicine, 23(4), 249-254. https://doi.org/10.34172/aim.2020.06
Toyin Sawyerr, P., & Yusof, N. (2013). Student satisfaction with hostel facilities in Nigerian polytechnics. Journal of Facilities Management, 11(4), 306-322. https://doi.org/10.1108/jfm-08-2012-0041
WHO. (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public: Mythbusters. World Health Organisation. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
