Knowledge and Attitude of Students at Ardabil University of Medical Sciences Regarding Hygiene and Food Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Coronaviridae is a peculiar viral family with a vast ribonucleic acid (RNA) genome and characteristic appearance, endowed with an astonishing tendency to transfer from animals to humans. Various factors can affect preventing this emerging disease and controlling its severity. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of students of Ardabil University of Medical Science (ARUMS) bout hygiene and food safety and their association with COVID-19 disease. Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study used an online questionnaire by random sampling, and the data were analyzed with SPSS software version 22. In this study, the statistical population was the students of ARUMS, and 100 (59 females and 41 males) students were selected from all the university students. A non-parametric test (Kruskal Wallis, Mann-Whitney), chi-square and Student’s t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: There was a significant correlation between gender (male and female) and the level of understanding in three categories (weak, moderate, and good) (P = 0.048). However, there was no significant relationship with the variable of attitude. Determining the correlation between the variables of students’ knowledge and perspective with the Pearson correlation test revealed that the intersection between hygiene and food safety variables with the variables of awareness, attitude, and COVID-19 is significant. Conclusions: Having appropriate behaviors and knowledge about eating habits is essential for medical students who are constantly faced with high-risk environments regarding pathogens and need to strengthen their immune system and keep it at the desired level.