Background: During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, harsh social distancing measures were taken in China to contain viral spread. We examined their impact on the lives of medical students. Methods: A nation-wide cross-sectional survey of college students was conducted from 4–12 February 2020. We enrolled medical students studying public health in Beijing and Wuhan to assess their COVID-19 awareness and to evaluate their mental health status/behaviors using a self-administered questionnaire. We used the Patient Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Health Questionnaire-9 to measure anxiety disorders and depression. We used multivariable logistic regression and path analysis to assess the associations between covariates and anxiety disorder/depression. Results: Of 933 students, 898 (96.2%) reported wearing masks frequently when going out, 723 (77.5%) reported daily handwashing with soap, 676 (72.5%) washed hands immediately after arriving home, and 914 (98.0%) reported staying home as much as possible. Prevalence of anxiety disorder was 17.1% and depression was 25.3%. Multivariable logistic regression showed anxiety to be associated with graduate student status (odds ratio (aOR) = 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–3.5), negative thoughts or actions (aOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.4–1.7), and feeling depressed (aOR = 6.8; 95% CI: 4.0–11.7). Beijing students were significantly less likely to have anxiety than those in the Wuhan epicenter (aOR = 0.9; 95% CI: 0.8–1.0), but depression did not differ. Depression was associated with female students (aOR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2–3.3), negative thoughts or actions (aOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.5–1.9), and anxiety disorder (aOR = 5.8; 95% CI: 3.4–9.9). Path analysis validated these same predictors. Conclusions: Despite medical students’ knowledge of disease control and prevention, their lives were greatly affected by social distancing, especially in the Wuhan epicenter. Even well-informed students needed psychological support during these extraordinarily stressful times.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Depression, social distancing, knowledge, China, medical students, Anxiety Disorder, personal protective measures, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, public health, pandemic, Anxiety, mental health, predictors, viral spread, Wuhan, female, Logistic regression, psychological support, path analysis, disease, questionnaire, association, Analysis, Odds ratio, cross-sectional survey, 95% confidence interval, multivariable logistic regression, Beijing, covariate, disorder, Social distancing measure, thought, enrolled, not differ, affected, evaluate, examined, significantly, reported, conducted, less, Generalized, wearing mask, 【제목키워드】 activity, Awareness, student,