Assessment of knowledge and attitude of general population about intoxication factors in Isfahan city, Iran, during the poisoning prevention week

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, the best strategy to control, manage, and prevent poisoning is identification of poisoning patterns, as well as education. Considering the importance of this issue and to prevent poisoning, this study was conducted to evaluate the attitude and knowledge about intoxications factors in general population in Isfahan City, Iran, during the poisoning prevention week. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 280 participants were randomly selected during the poisoning prevention week, and completed the researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three sections (demographic information, knowledge, and attitude). The validity and reliability of was approved (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.784). Findings: 51 of the participants were men, and the mean age was 37 years. The mean scores of knowledge and attitude of the participants about the intoxications factors were 6.57 ± 2.10, 32.69 ± 9.00, respectively. This mean did not show significant difference between both genders. There was a positive correlation between age and knowledge. Higher knowledge and attitudes were observed in married participants, those with higher education, and those with office occupations when compared with others. Conclusion: The mean knowledge of people in Isfahan City was moderate, and their mean attitude was good about intoxications factors. In future, by increasing the knowledge and attitudes of general population about poisoning, prevention strategies will improve. © 2019, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.