Knowledge, risk perceptions, and preventive precautions among Hong Kong students during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic

Abstract

This study reports the knowledge, risk perceptions, and preventive precautions among 288 Hong Kong secondary school students during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. Only 28.1% of the students expressed knowledge of all 3 major routes of H1N1 transmission, and 58.1% perceived a high risk of H1N1 infection. Adoption of 4-5 preventive precautions was not prevalent (40.9%) and was significantly associated with female sex, better knowledge of transmission, and higher perceived risk of infection.