Perceptions of teenagers about the role of the veterinarian in practice: a cross-cultural study.

A questionnaire survey of teenagers was conducted in 1995 to discover if the perceptions of the role of the veterinarian in practice differed among 3 cultural groups. Teenagers in their 1st year of secondary school education in 16 schools in the Krugersdorp area were used as the sample. Two thousand and sixty-five questionnaires were processed. A statistically significant difference in perceptions of the role of the veterinarian in practice was found between Black, Indian and White teenagers. Only 19.2% of the Black teenagers and 51.6% of the Indian teenagers had any idea of what a veterinarian did, compared to 88.1% of White teenagers. Similar differences in pet ownership, disease recognition, and veterinary care between the cultural groups were also found. The study emphasised the tremendous need for increased exposure to the veterinary profession within the historically disadvantaged communities of South Africa.