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Article History

Received: 14 May 2024

Accepted: 27 December 2024

First Online: 4 January 2025

Declarations

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: In this study, ethics was aimed at ensuring the protection of people involved in research, ensuring the independence of ethics committees, and combating fraudulent research. We have obtained an ethical clearance issued by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee for Human Health of the School of Health Sciences of the Catholic University of Central Africa [No.2023/022073/CEIRSH/ESS/MSP], an authorization from the Regional Delegate for Public Health in the Coastal Region [N°0318/AAR/MISANTE/DRSPL/BCASS], and an authorization from the regional delegate for secondary education in the coastal region [N°1237/2023/C/L/MINESEC/DRES-LT/S-DAG/IMS]. Parental consent was obtained through the signing of an informed consent and anonymity was preserved during data collection. However, no data were available to identify a participant. The research protocol was approved by a subcommittee of teachers from the School of Health Sciences of the Catholic University of Central Africa.Furthermore, in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and appropriate national guidelines, this study ensured that all research activities involving human participants were conducted in an ethical and responsible manner. We have adhered to the principles set out in the declaration, which emphasize the importance of informed consent, the welfare of participants and the integrity of research. All procedures were designed to respect the rights and dignity of participants, ensuring that they were fully informed of the study purpose, procedures, risks and benefits before giving consent. The ethical review process involved thorough assessments by the relevant ethics committees, aimed at safeguarding the rights and well-being of participants throughout the research. We are committed to upholding these ethical standards in all our research activities.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.