Awareness of laboratory students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences about human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)

Introduction: HTLV-1 virus is a human retrovirus and it causes several chronic diseases. So far, there is not any vaccine or satisfactory treatment that has been developed for infections caused by this virus. Moreover, the best way to control the infection is prevention and the best way to prevent it is education. Therefore, our study was conducted to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of laboratory science students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences about HTLV-1 virus. Methods and Materials: The present study was a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted in Mashhad School of Paramedical Sciences in 2016. The study population included all laboratory science students studying at the time of the study (n= 300). Participants were selected by census method. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire and they were analyzed, using SPSS software version 11.0. Results: A total of 265 students answered the questionnaire (response rate: 85٪). The mean age of students was 5.7 ± 22.7. The majority of students (52.7٪) stated that the most important source of information for receiving HTLV-1 related information was the classroom (52.1٪) and the Internet (16.6٪). In general, students’ level of awareness about this infection is poor with an average score of 14.44 out of 40 points. The knowledge level of 2.6٪ of students was at the high level, 33.2٪ of them at the intermediate level and 64.2٪ of them at the low level. There was a significant relationship between students’ knowledge and variables of gender and year of university entrance (P = 0.001). Discussion and Conclusion: In general, the obtained results show that the knowledge of the target group was poor. Due to the endemic nature of the disease, we need to change the teaching method and educational program related to this virus in the curriculum of medical students in order to better prevent and deal with this infection. This is especially important for groups that are more closely associated with the virus and its associated diseases, such as students and laboratory science graduates.