Exploring Health Program Students' Perceptions and Practices on Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Istanbul, Turkey: A Survey-Based Analysis

Exploring Health Program Students' Perceptions and Practices on Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Abstract

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) remains a major public health concern in endemic regions. Understanding community-level knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) is vital for developing control strategies. This study evaluates the KAB levels of health program students and other vocational program students aged 18–30 in Istanbul, Turkey, concerning CL. A total of 200 students (50.5% female, 49.5% male) were surveyed face-to-face. Results revealed that 52.5% of participants had insufficient knowledge about CL and sandflies. Health program students demonstrated significantly higher knowledge and more positive attitudes compared to their counterparts. Logistic regression identified educational background as a significant predictor of knowledge level. These findings highlight the importance of targeted health education in raising disease awareness