Hepatitis C awareness among adolescents in the Alpes-Maritimes area of France.
OBJECTIVE
Certain practices with a potential risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission begin early, during adolescence. In 2004, primary prevention interventions targeting adolescents aged 13-17 years attending school in the Alpes-Maritimes region of France were conducted by the "Réseau Hépatite C Ville Hôpital Côte d'Azur". The aim of this study was to assess the adolescents' knowledge about HCV and to evaluate the impact of such interventions.


METHODS
A random sample of secondary state schools in the Alpes-Maritimes was invited to participate in the study. Before and after presenting a slide show about HCV in the selected classrooms, the investigators asked the students to complete an anonymous self-administered questionnaire designed to assess their knowledge about HCV infection.


RESULTS
The intervention concerned a study population of 2,946 students, mean age 14.4 +/- 2.5 years. Before the interventions, 21% had good knowledge of HCV infection and 24% had good know-ledge of disease contagion. These percentages increased significantly after the interventions to 95% and 84% respectively. Knowledge improvement was more significant among high school students and among students whose parents had an employment.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents are poorly informed about HCV infection. The present intervention enabled significant improvement in their knowledge about the infection and disease contagion, independently of gender, age and geographical area.
Gardella
Florence
F
Réseau Hépatite C Ville-Hôpital Côte d'Azur.
Mariné-Barjoan
Eugènia
E
Truchi
Régine
R
Fodella
Laurence
L
Delasalle
Patrick
P
Sattonnet
Christophe
C
Gelsi
Egrave Ve
EV
Saint-Paul
Marie Christine
MC
Ouzan
Denis
D
Tran
Albert
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D046288:Body Piercing; D005602:France; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013653:Tattooing; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines
D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines