TIP FAKÜLTESİ ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN ZONA HASTALIĞI VE ZONA AŞISIYLA İLGİLİ BİLGİ DÜZEYİNİN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ: TANIMLAYICI KESİTSEL ÇALIŞMA

Abstract

Herpes zoster develops through reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus following prior varicella infection and can lead to serious complications particularly in older adults and immunosuppressed individuals. With population aging, the global incidence of the disease is rising, imposing an increasing burden on health systems and public health. Vaccination is one of the most effective current methods of prevention. The applicability of vaccination to target groups is directly related to physicians’ knowledge and awareness. This study aims to assess the knowledge level of medical faculty students regarding herpes zoster and the herpes zoster vaccine. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design and was conducted by the Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine between 15 May 2025 and 15 June 2025 among Year 3, 4, 5, and 6 medical students who presented to the Family Medicine outpatient clinics at Hacettepe University Hospital, Sıhhiye Campus, using a face-to-face questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised two parts: the first included 8 demographic questions; the second included 12 questions on herpes zoster and 8 on the zoster vaccine, totaling 28 questions. A total of 257 students participated. The overall knowledge level was moderate; across 20 knowledge questions, the mean correctness was 65.3% ± 20.4%. The principal factors that increased knowledge were class year (B=3.520; p<0.001) and receiving education about vaccines during training (B=2.750; p=0.003), whereas age showed a negative association with knowledge (B=−0.620; p=0.004). In logistic regression, each higher class year increased the odds of having high knowledge by approximately 1.5-fold (OR=1.51; p<0.001), and having received vaccine education increased this odds by about 3.4-fold (OR=3.39; p=0.011); other sociodemographic variables (sex, presence of a healthcare worker in the family, presence of chronic disease, history of zoster, and zoster in close contacts) showed no independent effects. The highest correctness rates pertained to core clinical items (etiologic virus, risk groups, complications, and treatment), whereas notable knowledge gaps were observed for vaccine-related issues (efficacy, administration, licensure, and reimbursement). These findings indicate a need to strengthen curriculum content specifically on zoster vaccination.