{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,16]],"date-time":"2025-07-16T13:53:29Z","timestamp":1752674009550,"version":"3.40.5"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,14]],"date-time":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1678752000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Medical students should act as a model for the community in terms of compliance with preventive practices toward COVID-19. The aim of this study was to assess adherence to preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among medical students and to identify its associated factors.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Population and methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We conducted a cross-sectional survey in October 2020 in the faculty of medicine of Monastir. We included a representative sample of medical students during registration days for the 2020\u20132021 academic year. The data were collected through a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Eleven items related to preventive practices against COVID-19 were assessed (respiratory hygiene practices (Six Item), hand hygiene practices (Three Items) and social distancing (two items)). Items were evaluated using a Likert scale of five points (from 0: (Never) to 4: (Always)). The score obtained from the sum of these items allowed to classify students into two categories: \u201cGood compliance\u201d if the score was \u2265 80% and \u201cPoor compliance\u201d if the score was less than 80%. Scores were compared according to the study population characteristics. Multivariate analysis was used to identify associated factors with good practices. The threshold of statistical significance was set at p &lt; 0.05.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We included 678 medical students. The average age was 21.76 (SD = 1.89 years) with a sex ratio of 0.40. The protection measures most respected by the participants were related to the respiratory hygiene: correct coverage of the nose and mouth with the mask (80%), wearing masks regardless of the presence of symptoms (73.3%) and coverage of the mouth during coughing or sneezing (76.6%). Adherence to hand hygiene measures ranged from 51.4% to 66.3%. The least respected measures were related to social distancing: distancing of at least one meter from others (31.2%) and avoiding crowded places (42.5%). An overall score \u2265 80% was obtained among 61.5% of students. Referring to multivariate analysis, variables that positively affected the overall score of preventive measures related to COVID-19 were the female sex and living alone, with Beta coefficients of 3.82 and 1.37 respectively. The perceived level of stress, E-cigarette and Chicha consumption negatively affected the score with Beta coefficients of (-0.13), (-5.11) and (-2.33) respectively.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The level of adherence to good practice among medical students was overall moderate. Awareness programs would be needed in this population, especially for men and those who smoke and vape.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0280921","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,14]],"date-time":"2023-03-14T17:31:59Z","timestamp":1678815119000},"page":"e0280921","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Associated factors with adherence to preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among medical students in the university of Monastir, Tunisia"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3273-7811","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Imen","family":"Zemni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kaouthar","family":"Zemni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amal","family":"Gara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amani","family":"Maatouk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Manel","family":"Ben Fredj","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hela","family":"Abroug","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Meriem","family":"Kacem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cyrine","family":"Benasrallah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wafa","family":"Dhouib","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ines","family":"Bouanene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Asma","family":"Belguith Sriha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,14]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0280921.ref001","first-page":"157","article-title":"WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic19","volume":"91","author":"D Cucinotta","year":"2020","journal-title":"Acta Bio-Medica Atenei Parm"},{"journal-title":"(COVID-19) Dashboard [Internet].","year":"2022","author":"WHO Coronavirus","key":"pone.0280921.ref002"},{"issue":"20","key":"pone.0280921.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2052","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2020.6775","article-title":"Presenting Characteristics, Comorbidities, and Outcomes Among 5700 Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 in the New York City Area","volume":"323","author":"S Richardson","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0280921.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0234765","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0234765","article-title":"The prevalence of symptoms in 24,410 adults infected by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19): A systematic review and meta-analysis of 148 studies from 9 countries.","volume":"15","author":"MC Grant","year":"2020","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"journal-title":"How is it transmitted? 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Available on: https:\/\/www.who.int\/westernpacific\/emergencies\/covid-19\/information\/transmission-protective-measures"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0280921.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17543","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-96705-w","article-title":"Knowledge, awareness and practices of Pakistani professionals amid-COVID-19 outbreak.","volume":"11","author":"S Khan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0280921.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"653","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-021-10575-5","article-title":"Knowledge, attitude and practices related to COVID-19 among young Lebanese population.","volume":"21","author":"S Sakr","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0280921.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0258805","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0258805","article-title":"Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 among pharmacists partnering with community residents: A national survey in Japan.","volume":"16","author":"D Kambayashi","year":"2021","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"key":"pone.0280921.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"889227","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.889227","article-title":"Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Toward COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study of Staff in China-Guinea Friendship Hospital, Guinea.","volume":"10","author":"W Ji","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health."},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0280921.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0251151","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0251151","article-title":"Knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding COVID-19 in Bangladesh: A nationwide distribution.","volume":"16","author":"I Hosen","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLOS ONE."},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0280921.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e08686","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2021.e08686","article-title":"Indonesia medical students\u2019 knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward COVID-19.","volume":"8","author":"JJS Sondakh","year":"2022","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0280921.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1427","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jiph.2021.07.022","article-title":"Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and precautionary actions against COVID-19 among medical students in Egypt.","volume":"14","author":"MR Salem","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Infect Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0280921.ref016","unstructured":"Mot du Doyen\u2013Facult\u00e9 de M\u00e9decine de Monastir FMM [Internet]. [citd 22 june 2022]. Available on: https:\/\/fmm.tn\/mot-du-doyen\/#"},{"journal-title":"Tunisia: WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard With Vaccination Data [Internet]","year":"2022","key":"pone.0280921.ref017"},{"article-title":"Connaissances, attitudes et pratiques \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9gard de COVID 19 chez les \u00e9tudiants de l\u2019universit\u00e9. [Thesis].","year":"2021","author":"M. 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