Ethical Considerations of Establishing Social Restrictions in the Prevention and Control of the Corona Epidemic from the Point of View of Medical Students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background: Covid-19 (coronavirus), with its different dimensions, has created a serious international crisis in the world and has presented mankind with a new challenge. Among these, it can be claimed that the most difficult challenge in the Corona crisis is the moral challenge. Objectives: Considering the significance of ethical considerations and the crucial role students play in conveying these concepts to society, we decided to examine their perspectives. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive study, and the statistical population was medical students in the basic sciences of Kermanshah Medical School. The sample size was 205 people based on Cochran's formula (d = 0.05), and the sampling method was random sampling. To collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire was designed based on current issues and approved by several professors (25 questions with a 5-point Likert scale from "very much" to "very little"). The reliability coefficient (0.83 Cronbach's Alpha) was satisfactory for the questionnaire. After completion and collection, the data was entered into SPSS-21 software. Then, it was subjected to statistical analysis with descriptive statistics (prevalence, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (due to the non-normality of the data distribution, non-parametric tests were used to analyze and compare the answers). Results: The average age was 20.58 ± 2.41 years, 115 people (56.1%) were male, and 198 people (96.6%) were single. Natives accounted for 63.2%. The effective factors in interventions were, in order: Use of different media for information, appropriate, accurate, and timely information, appropriate and sufficient training, preparation and provision of conditions before the above interventions, presentation of decisions and programs in simple and practical language, and fair distribution of protective equipment. Conclusions: According to our results, it was found that the role of using different media for informing, training, preparing, and providing conditions before interventions is very important. Therefore, policymakers and health planners should have the necessary preparation in these matters to control future epidemics.