title: Information from teachers on viral hepatitis transmission and prevention in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess school teachers' level of knowledge on prevention of viral hepatitis (VH).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in three cities of Brazil, from August to November of 1999. The sample was composed of 360 subjects: 334 women and 26 men, 81 (22.5%) from Belém, 123 (34.2%) from Natal and 156 (43.3%) from Rio de Janeiro. Cultural differences in knowledge were identified using a questionnaire to classify, according to semantic content, categories of transmission and preventive practices. Responses were scored as right or wrong. Data were tabulated and analyzed using EPIINFO 6.04 and open answers were classified according to semantic content. Comparison of the answer frequencies between cities was done through the chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transmission category (TC) (n = 837 answers) and prevention category (PC) (n = 771 answers) "food- and waterborne" transmission items were the most frequently mentioned (40%). For TC, "food- and waterborne" answers were followed by "bloodborne" (16%), "inadequate knowledge" (9%), "possible causes of hepatic disease" (9%), and "sexual transmission" (7%) answers. For PC items, "food- and waterborne" answers were followed by "general aspects of prevention" (13%), "immunization" (9%), "quality of health services" (8%) and "sexual prevention" (5%) items. "Right" scores for transmission mechanisms and prevention practices varied from zero to 80%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings suggest that investments should be made to disseminate appropriate knowledge on VH prevention, mainly addressing sexual transmission and intravenous drug use.
authors.affiliation: Rio de Janeiro Federal University Public Health Nucleus, Rio de Janeiro State Ministry of Health and Brazil's Ministry of Health, Brazil. rgaze@nesc.ufrj.br
authors.forename: Rosangela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaze
authors.forename: Diana Maul
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Rangel-Tura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011315:Preventive Medicine / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires