ارزیابی سطح آگاهی مراجعین به مراکز بهداشتی درمانی استان مازندران درباره بیماری وبا

Background and purpose: Annually outbreak of cholera is reported in our country. Awareness of the general population about cholera is the cornerstone of disease prevention. The aim of this study was to assess the awareness of general population in Mazandaran province about cholera. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in April 2013. The study population included 425 people of general population attending health centers in Mazandaran province who were randomly selected. They completed a questionnaire containing 10 questions about cholera in the presence of researcher. SPSS ver. 16 was used to analyze the data. Results: The participants were 222 (52.2%) female and 203 (47.8%) male with the mean age of 34±11.50 years. The awareness level were, 27.5% poor (score≤3), 33.2% moderate (score4 and 5), 34.8% good (score 6 and 7) and 4.5% very good (score≥8). We observed low levels of awareness among those aged under 20 and over 60 years old. However, no significant difference was seen in two genders. Conclusion: This study revealed a low level of awareness among general population on cholera. Therefore, educational programs are recommended to enhance the knowledge of people on cholera.