Schistosomiasis: The Hidden Danger for University Students

In China, health education has been a key tool in managing schistosomiasis. This disease is a real problem in certain areas, especially for university students who live or study in these regions. These students often come into contact with snail-infested water during their daily activities and leisure time. This puts them at risk of catching the disease. A recent study focused on understanding how much these students know about schistosomiasis. The goal was to find better ways to stop the disease from spreading once it has been controlled. The study took place in Gongqingcheng, a city near Lake Poyang. Students from two universities were asked to fill out an online questionnaire. The survey happened over three days, from April 2 to April 4, 2024. The questionnaire checked how much students knew about schistosomiasis and how they liked to learn about health topics. It also looked at how often they came into contact with snail-infested water. Out of 4, 847 students who took the survey, almost half were male and the other half were female. A surprising 53. 8% reported being near snail-infested areas around their schools. Even more alarming, 38. 4% had direct contact with this water. Students who dug for wild vegetables were more likely to come into contact with snail water, especially those from non-endemic areas. The survey found that students' awareness of schistosomiasis was quite low. Only 31. 08% knew much about the disease, and even fewer understood how it spreads (30. 58%) or its symptoms (42. 91%). Students from endemic areas knew more about the disease than those from non-endemic areas. This shows that living in an endemic area might make students more aware of the risks. When it came to learning about health, students preferred mobile multimedia (72. 75%), brochures (68. 68%), and physical promotional items (66. 58%). This shows that students are open to different ways of learning about health topics. However, the overall awareness of schistosomiasis among university students is still low. This means there is a real need to improve health education in schools. By doing this, we can help students understand the risks and how to protect themselves.