INTRODUCTION The widespread use of face masks by the general public may help to prevent the spread of viruses. Face masks are thought to be a good strategy to protect against respiratory diseases such as the Coronavirus. Identifying student knowledge, attitude, and practice about the use of face masks is crucial to detect vulnerabilities and respond rapidly to avoid the spread of the infection. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of face mask utilization and associated factors in the COVID-19 pandemic among college students. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed from February to March 2021 among 764 students from Wachemo University, Southern Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was used in the study. The sample size for each department was allocated in proportion to the number of students in that department, and each respondent was chosen using a simple random sampling procedure. Data were collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 26. To predict the relationship between the predictor and outcome variables, a logistic regression model was used. At a p-value of 0.05, statistical significance was declared. RESULTS The study showed that the overall knowledge of the students was 223 (29.2%), their attitude was 673 (88.1%), and their practice was 684 (89.5%). The students from the college natural and computational sciences (AOR: 0.23; 95%CI: 0.13, 0.40) and students having good knowledge (AOR = 4.40; 95%CI; 2.13, 9.14) were found to be independently associated with face mask utilization. CONCLUSION When compared to other researches, the knowledge about the usage of face masks in this study was low, but the attitudes and practices were high. Authorities in areas that are in danger of a COVID-19 pandemic should plan and implement public awareness and education initiatives.

中文翻译：

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埃塞俄比亚南部瓦切莫大学学生在 COVID-19 大流行中口罩使用的知识、态度和做法以及相关因素：一项横断面研究。

简介 公众广泛使用口罩可能有助于防止病毒传播。口罩被认为是预防冠状病毒等呼吸道疾病的好策略。确定学生使用口罩的知识、态度和实践对于检测漏洞并迅速做出反应以避免感染传播至关重要。本研究旨在确定大学生在 COVID-19 大流行中使用口罩的知识、态度和做法以及相关因素。方法 2021 年 2 月至 3 月，对埃塞俄比亚南部瓦切莫大学的 764 名学生进行了横断面研究。研究中使用了多级抽样技术。每个系的样本量按该系学生人数的比例分配，并使用简单的随机抽样程序选择每个受访者。使用预先测试的自我管理问卷收集数据，并使用 SPSS 26 版进行分析。为了预测预测变量和结果变量之间的关系，使用了逻辑回归模型。在 p 值为 0.05 时，宣布具有统计显着性。结果本次调查显示，学生总体知识223分（29.2%），态度673分（88.1%），实践684分（89.5%）。来自大学自然科学和计算科学的学生 (AOR: 0.23; 95%CI: 0.13, 0.40) 和具有良好知识的学生 (AOR = 4.40; 95%CI; 2.13, 9.14) 被发现与口罩使用率独立相关. 结论与其他研究相比，本研究对口罩使用的了解程度较低，但态度和做法较高。处于 COVID-19 大流行危险地区的当局应规划和实施公众意识和教育举措。