Investigation on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of college students on foodborne parasitic diseases in Wuhu City

Abstract

To understand the status of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on foodborne parasitic diseases and the influencing factors among college students in Wuhu City, so as to provide the evidence for the development of strategies on health education. A total of 1 685 college students from five colleges were selected through the randomly stratified cluster sampling method, and then they were investigated by questionnaires to understand their KAP on foodborne parasitic diseases. Chi-square test was performed and regression models were constructed to analyze the influencing factors of knowledge on food-borne parasitic diseases. Among the 1 685 college students surveyed the awareness rates of knowledge about foodborne parasitic diseases and their harms were 33.5% (565 cases) and 31.4% (529 cases). There were statistically significant differences among/between the grades, schools, places of origin, family incomes, whether or not having the male or female friends, whether or not having the medical personnel in the family, whether or not having the insistence on the annual physical examination, whether or not receiving the health education, and whether or not having the history of parasitic diseases (all P < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that the school, receiving the health education, having the insistence on the annual physical examination, and the history of parasitic diseases were the independent influencing factors of the awareness rate of knowledge on foodborne parasitic diseases (all P < 0.01). The awareness rate, healthy behavior and correct attitude formation about foodborne parasitic diseases are low among the college students in Wuhu City, and therefore, it is necessary to offer the courses related to foodborne parasitic diseases in colleges and universities.