Which Volunteering Settings Do Medical Students Prefer During a Novel Respiratory Virus Pandemic? A Cross-Sectional Study of Multiple Colleges in Central Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Haytham I AlSaif; Mohammed M Alessa; Ahmed H Alajlan; Abdulelah I Alrshid; Abdulaziz F Aljarbou; Awadh A Alqahtani; Mohammad I Aljumah; Mansour I Alrshid; Aljoharah I Aleisa; Abdulrahman M Aloufi; Saad M Alsaad

doi:10.2147/RMHP.S352210

Which Volunteering Settings Do Medical Students Prefer During a Novel Respiratory Virus Pandemic? A Cross-Sectional Study of Multiple Colleges in Central Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2022 May 11:15:983-996. doi: 10.2147/RMHP.S352210. eCollection 2022.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
² College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
³ College of Medicine, Imam Muhammed Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ College of Medicine, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ College of Medicine, Almaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Purpose: Novel respiratory virus outbreaks are a recurring public health concern. Volunteering medical students can be a valuable asset during such times. This study investigated the willingness of medical students to volunteer during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the barriers to doing so, considering the possibility of exposure to COVID-19 and mode of contact.

Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered online questionnaire adapted from the literature. The questionnaire comprised four parts: demographic variables, COVID-19-related variables, willingness scale, and barrier scale. The target population was medical students at four different colleges in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results: A total of 802 students participated in the study. A small proportion of students (10.6%) were willing to participate in volunteering activities that could involve contact with patients with COVID-19 as compared to other settings (39.4-43.4%). More than one-quarter of students (26.8%) had risk factors for severe COVID-19. The main barrier to volunteering was the concern of transmitting the infection to family members (76.8%). Registration to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was positively associated with more willingness to volunteer (β=0.17, p <0.001), whereas residing in a household with an elderly person was negatively associated (β=-0.13, p <0.001). Female sex was positively associated with higher barrier score (β=0.12, p <0.001).

Conclusion: Medical students were more willing to volunteer in activities that did not involve direct contact with patients with COVID-19. A considerable proportion of participants had risk factors for severe illness. Sharing a household with an elderly person or child was associated with lower willingness to volunteer. Organizers of volunteering activities should offer various volunteering options considering the risk of infection; and be mindful of barriers to volunteering, especially risk factors for severe illness and eldercare and childcare responsibilities.

Keywords: COVID-19; disaster; health workforce; medical students; pandemic; volunteerism.