Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. 2020 May, Vol-14(5): LC01-LC05 1 1 DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2020/44077.13681 Original Article Public Health Section Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Rubella Infection among Preparatory Year Students: A Preliminary Exploratory Study in Aden, Yemen INTRODUCTION Rubella, also called German measles is an acute viral infection caused by a togavirus of the Rubivirus family that can affect people of all ages and both sexes [1]. The incidence is much higher in Low- to-Middle Income Countries (LMICs) [2]. Several reports and studies explained the signs and symptoms of rubella [3], its transmission [4], incubation period and how it can spread and affect pregnant mothers and their fetus [5-10]. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 1,00,000 children are born with CRS annually, with most of them in developing countries [1]. In Yemen, high incidence rates of rubella of 41 and 52 cases per million were registered in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Prior to the war, Yemen had a relatively stable vaccination rate, reaching 70-80% of the target population [11]. In March 2015, Yemen underwent major political upheaval due to the civil war. Yemen had a fragile health care system prior to the onset of the war and did not have the infrastructure to withstand these changes; consequently, the health care system is currently on the brink of collapse [12]. The incorporation of KAP surveys has been endorsed by the WHO to modify health education to improve public knowledge and attitudes. Obviously, the KAP concerning rubella differs from one region to another as KAP are heavily influenced by specific socio- cultural settings. In fact, there is little information about how individual communities incorporate knowledge of the origins and impacts of rubella into the local knowledge systems. Rubella occurs more often in children and young adults. To the best of authors’ knowledge, data on KAP regarding rubella infection and the rubella vaccine in Yemen are scarce. The information from this study can provide insight into the current status, enabling preventive measures to be taken. The current study was designed to preliminarily evaluate the KAP regarding rubella among preparatory year students at Aden University, Yemen. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Design A survey was conducted among the preparatory year students attending Aden University, Yemen. The program aimed to prepare the students by teaching them the basic knowledge needed to attend a university and to select the students eligible for each field based on their performance during the year. Aden University’s preparatory program has 4 colleges: the Medicine Faculty, Administration Science Faculty, Languages Faculty and Engineering Faculty. Ethics Considerations The protocol of the study was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Aden (Research Code: REC-25-2018). All respondents were fully notified that their participation was voluntary and that it was possible to withdraw from the study without notice. Those who wished to participate were required to sign a consent form. Study Population, Sample Size and Sampling Of a total population of 1500 students, a sample size of 212 students was needed. The required sample size was calculated based on a NAZEH M AL-ABD 1 , MOHAMMED ALSHAKKA 2 , SHEIKH ALSHOTARI 3 , P RAVI SHANKAR 4 , MOHAMED IZHAM MOHAMED IBRAHIM 5 Keywords: Adolescence, Education, German measles, Virus infection ABSTRACT Introduction: Rubella is a contagious viral infection characterised by mild fever and rashes. Maternal infection early in pregnancy often leads to birth defects known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS). Raising awareness among students about the importance of vaccines is a key to helping eliminate the spread of diseases. Moreover, the university students who are young adults will start their own family some day and some might become healthcare providers in the future. Data pertaining to Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) regarding rubella are needed to sensitise and create awareness among health care administrators and providers. Aim: To assess the KAP regarding rubella among preparatory year students attending Aden University, Yemen. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among preparatory year students attending Aden University. The students were chosen randomly. A pre-designed, validated (Cronbach’s alpha was 0.83) and structured questionnaire that gathered personal data and contained questions designed to assess the KAP regarding rubella and its vaccine was administered. Descriptive statistics and the chi-Square test (alpha=0.05) were used to analyse the data. Results: One hundred ninety of the 250 (76%) responses were usable. Overall, 63.2% of participants had heard about rubella but lacked accurate knowledge of the signs, symptoms, causes and modes of transmission of rubella. Regarding their attitude towards rubella, 62.5% of participants considered rubella infection to be harmful to people’s health. Conclusion: This study reveals inadequate KAP regarding rubella among preparatory year students attending Aden University. Hence, there is a great need for adequate health education programs and community mobilisation to enhance public knowledge of rubella.