Knowledge, Risk Perceptions and Depression Related to COVID-19: The Comparison between Nurses and other Professionals in Nanjing, China

Background: COVID-19 is a deadly infectious disease that dramatically affects the safety of hospital professionals. Their knowledge, risk perception, and depression levels towards COVID-19 need to be understood.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the differences in knowledge, risk perceptions, and depression related to COVID-19 between nurses and other professionals in hospital settings.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Nanjing, China at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with four standardized questionnaires, including (a) demographic data, (b) knowledge about COVID-19, (c) risk perceptions, and (d) depression. Data from the two groups of participants were analyzed by Chi-square tests, correlations, and t-tests.

Results: The mean correct answer rate of knowledge for nurses was 76.42%, and for other professionals was 73.94%. T-tests indicated significant differences in total mean knowledge score and mean scores in four out of five subscale scores (p<.05). All significant differences in scores showed that nurses' knowledge was higher than other professionals, except one subscale score, which revealed that nurses' knowledge of pets could spread COVID-19 was lower than other professionals. The highest perceived risk scores in both groups were contracting influenza. The second highest was scores on COVID-19 and H1N 1 the third. T-tests indicated significant differences between these two groups in scores of contracting these three infectious diseases, with nurses higher than other professionals (p<.001). T-test also showed that the depression of nurses was higher than other professionals (p<.000). Positive relationships existed between risk perceptions and depression (p<.001).

Conclusions: More education is needed to improve hospital professionals' knowledge of COVID-19. Since nurses' risk perceptions of contracting COVID-19 and dying from this deadly infection were higher than other professionals; further studies might help researchers understand the underlying reasons better. Hospital leaders should pay attention to workers' mental health and initiate proper strategies to reduce their depression related to COVID-19. Further investigation is needed since few publications mention the relationship between the perceived risk of hospital professionals and home and food accidents.