Sociodemographic Disparities in COVID-19 Knowledge Among Malaysian School Students

Abstract

The world is experiencing a health crisis which has led to millions of infections and deaths worldwide, with substantial and multifaceted effects on school children worldwide. Understanding students' knowledge disparities of pandemics is crucial for better equipping them to contribute transmission prevention and foster a healthier and more informed generation. This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey, which involved participation from 24 government schools, covering both urban and rural settings across Malaysia. The study encompassed a comprehensive sample size of 3485 participants, comprising both primary and secondary school students. The overall knowledge of COVID-19 among students was high, with a total score of 87.1%. Statistically significant difference was observed in knowledge on COVID-19 characteristic among gender and education level (p<0.05). Responses concerning knowledge on the symptoms also varied significantly by ethnicity, religion and localities (p<0.05). Despite high overall knowledge, significant sociodemographic disparities exist among gender, ethnicity, religion, locality and education level. These results underscore the importance of tailored demographic-specific approaches in health education to enhance awareness among school students.