FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTITUDES REGARDING THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE AMONG MEDICAL AND NURSING STUDENTS IN A NIGERIAN TEACHING HOSPITAL

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: In recent times the Ebola Virus Disease has been a major source of public health concern. The 2014 West African outbreak affected several Health Care Workers (HCW) and this has negatively affected their attitudes towards the disease. 

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Nigeria and involved 423 under-graduate medical and nursing students. Multi-stage stratified random sampling was used and data was collected using a pretested structured self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done using IBM-SPSS version 22. Association between two categorical variables was done using Chi-square test, while Spearman’s correlation was used for correlation between two continuous as well as ordinal variables. The predictors of attitude were analyzed using Multiple Logistic Regression. 

Result: The mean attitude score was 83.9 ±9.8, about 51.8% had good attitude.  Predictors of attitude were age (AOR = 1.099, 95% CI = 1.019 - 1.184), field of study (AOR = 1.953, 95% CI = 1.142 – 3.334) and fifth year of studies (AOR = 1.993, 95% CI = 1.081 – 3.677).

Conclusion: Negative attitudes still exist such as fear of infection as well as stigmatization of EVD patients and survivors. There is need for government intervention through funding to improve the situation. 

Keywords: Attitudes, Ebola, Medical and Nursing students, Nigeria