ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Analysis of students' awareness of measures to prevent infections with fecal-oral and hematogenic transmission mechanisms
1 Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
2 Dolgoprudny Gymnasium, Dolgoprudny, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Svetlana V. Markelova
Ostrovityanov, 1, Moscow, 117997, Russia; ur.xednay@evs.avolekram
Author contribution: Solovieva YuV — statistical data processing, preparation of the literature review, figures; Paunova SS — work on the manuscript; Markelova SV — analysis, data interpretation, work on the manuscript, preparation of the final version of the article; Kirillova AV, Tseplyaeva KV, Sapunova NO — data acquisition; Skoblina NA — study planning, analysis, data interpretation, work on the manuscript.
Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (protocol No. 159 dated 21 November 2016). The informed consent was obtained for all study participants. The study was in line with the principles of biomedical ethics and did not endanger the subjects.
Great attention is traditionally paid to prevention of infectious diseases in pediatric population. Along with the institutional, therapeutic and preventive measures, it is necessary to control public awareness of such issues. The study was aimed to analyze awareness of primary school, high school, and senior school students, college and university students of the issues related to prevention of infections with fecal-oral and hematogenic transmission mechanisms. The study was carried out using the private online questionnaire consisting of three items (personal information, questions regarding awareness of the infections with fecal-oral and hematogenic transmission mechanisms). The properly filled questionnaires of the respondents, who had given to consent to participation in the study, were analyzed. It was found that schoolchildren aged 12–15 years were the least informed about the issues related to prevention of infections with fecal-oral and hematogenic transmission mechanisms, while the group of students aged 18–30 years was the most informed. It was hypothesized that parents influenced the choice of answer made by schoolchildren aged 6–11 during the online survey. It has been proposed to ensure raising of the 6–15-year-old students’ awareness of the issues related to prevention of infectious diseases, including by means of hygienic training when mastering such school curriculum subjects, as Biology and Human Life Safety.
Keywords: risk factors, prevention, students, infectious diseases, hygienic education, fecal-oral transmission mechanism, hematogenic transmission mechanisms