COMPARISON OF INFECTION RATES, QUARANTINE PERIODS, AND FEAR LEVELS IN UNDERGRADUATE PHYSIOTHERAPY AND REHABILITATION STUDENTS WHO HAD FACE-TO-FACE AND ONLINE EDUCATION DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A SINGLE-CENTER, CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to compare the rates of COVID-19 infection and quarantine periods, and COVID-19 related fear in undergraduate physiotherapy and rehabilitation students who continued their educations as online or face-to-face. Methods: Three hundred and one students who continued their education during the 2020-2021 fall term as online (n= 144, for 1st and 4th degrees), or face-to-face under strict special precautions (n= 157, for 2nd and 3rd grades) were included. Demographic characteristics, COVID-19 infection diagnosis and quarantine due to contact were questioned via a structured online form. COVID-19 related fear was assessed by using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results: No statistical differences were detected regarding demographical characteristics and COVID-19 infection rates between the groups (p> 0.05). The online education group had higher quarantine rates due to contact with an infected person (p= 0.040), while the face-to-face group reported higher COVID 19 related fear (p= 0.001). Conclusion: According to our results, although the COVID-19-related fears of student who received face to-face education were higher than those who received online education, the quarantine numbers and infection rates were similar in both groups. Our results support that physiotherapy and rehabilitation education can be continued as face-to-face under special precautions. The precautions we used in our study may be benefited to continue face-to-face education in future pandemics.

Keywords

• Educatin
• Pandemic
• Physiotherapy

COVID-19 PANDEMİSİ DÖNEMİNDE YÜZ YÜZE VE ÇEVRİMİÇİ EĞİTİM ALMIŞ FİZYOTERAPİ VE REHABİLİTASYON LİSANS ÖĞRENCİLERİNDE ENFEKSİYON ORANLARI, KARANTİNA SÜRELERİ VE KORKU DÜZEYİNİN KARŞILAŞTIRILMASI: TEK MERKEZLİ, KESİTSEL BİR ÇALIŞMA

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, eğitimlerine çevrimiçi veya yüz yüze devam eden fizyoterapi ve rehabilitasyon lisans öğrencilerinde COVID-19 enfeksiyonu oranlarının, karantina sürelerinin ve COVID-19 ilişkili korkunun karşılaştırılmasıdır. Yöntem: 2020-2021 güz döneminde çevrimiçi (1. ve 4. sınıflar, n=144) veya sıkı özel önlemler altında yüz yüze eğitimlerine (2. ve 3. sınıflar, n= 157) devam eden 301 öğrenci dahil edildi. Demografik özellikler, COVID-19 enfeksiyon teşhisi ve temasa bağlı karantina yapılandırılmış bir çevrimiçi form aracılığıyla sorgulandı. COVID-19 ilişkili korku, COVID-19 Korku Ölçeği kullanılarak değerlendirildi. Sonuçlar: Gruplar arasında demografik özellikler ve COVID-19 enfeksiyon oranları açısından istatistiksel farklar saptanmadı (p>0,05). Çevrimiçi eğitim grubu, enfekte bir kişiyle temas nedeniyle daha yüksek karantina oranlarına sahipken (p=0,040), yüz yüze grup COVID-19 ilişkili daha yüksek korku bildirdi (p= 0,001). Tartışma: Sonuçlarımıza göre, yüz yüze eğitim alan öğrencilerin COVID-19 ilişkili korkuları online eğitim alan öğrencilere kıyasla daha yüksek saptansa da, her iki gruptaki karantina sayıları ve enfeksiyon oranları benzerdi. Sonuçlarımız özel önlemler altında fizyoterapi ve rehabilitasyon eğitiminin yüz yüze sürdürülebileceğini desteklemektedir. Çalışmamızda kullanığımız önlemlerden ileride ortaya çıkabilecek salgın durumlarında yüz yüze eğitimin devam ettirilmesi açısından yararlanılabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Eğitim
• Pandemi
• Fizyoterapi

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