title: Community, parental and adolescent awareness and knowledge of meningococcal disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess knowledge of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) and concern about the disease in the South Australian Community including adolescents, adults, parents and non-parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted by face to face interviews in South Australia in 2012. Participants were scored on their knowledge and concern about IMD. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed with the survey data weighted by age and gender in accordance with 2011 Census data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 5200 households randomly selected and stratified by metropolitan or rural location, 3055 participants were interviewed with a response rate of 60.3%. The majority were Australian born (74.2%, n=2267) with 31.8% (n=972) of those interviewed being parents, and 15.9% (n=487) adolescents (15-24 years). Almost a quarter of participants (23.5%, n=717) do not know what meningococcal disease is, with 9.1% (n=278) believing incorrectly that IMD is a viral infection. 36.6% (n=1114) had low overall knowledge of IMD. Adolescents (p<0.050), non-Australian born (p<0.001), low educational attainment (p=0.019), low household income (p=0.011), low/medium socio-economic status (p<0.050) or living in a metropolitan area (p=0.006) were more likely to have lower overall knowledge of IMD. Participants who were not parents (p<0.001), male gender (p<0.001), single (p<0.001), highly educated (p=0.022) or had high household income (p=0.015), had lower concern about IMD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Large community knowledge gaps for IMD were observed, particularly amongst adolescents and adults with low educational attainment and low socio-economic status. Improving community knowledge of IMD could help ensure optimal uptake of a new meningococcal vaccine. Our study results can help guide development of community tailored immunisation education programs.
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health/Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit (VIRTU), Women's and Children's Hospital, 72 King William Rd, North Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia. Electronic address: bing.wang@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit (VIRTU), Women's and Children's Hospital, 72 King William Rd, North Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia. Electronic address: michelle.clarke@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Level 7, 178 North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia. Electronic address: hossein.hajialiafzali@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Hossein Haji Ali
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Afzali
authors.affiliation: Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit (VIRTU), Women's and Children's Hospital, 72 King William Rd, North Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Level 7, 178 North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Robinson Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Electronic address: helen.marshall@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D012923:Social Class; D013021:South Australia; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Awareness; Knowledge; Meningococcal disease; Survey