COVID-19 Risky Health Behavior Among College Students

This research explored the behavior of college students before and after the implementation of a mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted at a public university in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia with 807 college students. The study assessed various factors, including living arrangements (shared living spaces such as rooms and bathrooms), social behavior (including social gatherings), adherence to mask protocols during gatherings, and hygiene practices (such as hand sanitization). The results indicated significant differences in social behavior (M_before = 19.82, M_after = 25.85, p =.001), mask-wearing (M_before = 20.73, M_after = 31.41, p =.001), and hygiene practices (M_before = 8.48, M_after = 9.24, p =.001) before and after the mask mandate was lifted, suggesting that students engaged in riskier behaviors after the mandate was lifted. No significant difference was observed in the living space.