ABSTRACT:
Background: Both individual growth and the development of a healthy society depend on good health. Due to a lack of awareness about how diseases spread, children who make up a sizable fraction of both the Indian and world populations are especially susceptible to avoidable illnesses.1.2 The purpose of this study was to improve school children's comprehension of the five Fs of disease transmission: food, fomite, fluid, flies, and faeces. Objective: Study to assess the knowledge regarding the prevention of 5Fs disease transmission among school students at a selected school in Chamarajanagar. Materials and Methodology: The Research approach was quantitative, and the research design was descriptive. 60 samples that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected. The tool used for collection comprises two sections: Section A - demographic variables; Section B - a structured questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice questions to assess knowledge of the 5Fs. Result: The study revealed that majority of the school students are in the age group of 14 and 15 years (40% each), Majority of the school students are females (55%), Majority of students are studying 9th standard (43.3%), Majority of students are Hindu religion (90%) and from nuclear family (75%). Most of the students' parents have an educational level of PUC and above (Mother: 60%, Father: 76.6%). Most of the parents’ monthly income is 20001 and above (58.3%). Most of the students' diets are vegetarian (76.7%). Most students dont have prior information on the 5Fs (61.66%). The majority, 70% of the school students, have average knowledge regarding 5fs, 23.33% of students have good knowledge, and 6.66% of students have poor knowledge regarding 5fs. The study also revealed that there was a statistically significant association between the knowledge score of the high school children and demographic variables such as prior information on 5FS at a 0.01307 level of significance. Conclusion: The present study assessed the level of knowledge regarding the 5Fs of disease transmission among high school students in Chamarajanagar District. The findings revealed that a considerable proportion of students had varying levels of knowledge about the 5Fs. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant association between student’s knowledge scores and selected demographic variables. This indicates that students who had previous exposure to information related to the 5Fs through school teaching, health education programs, or other sources possessed better knowledge compared to those without prior information. The results emphasise the importance of early and continuous health education in improving awareness and understanding of disease transmission routes among school students. Overall, the study highlights the need for strengthening school-based health education programs and active involvement of teachers and health professionals to enhance students’ knowledge, thereby contributing to the prevention of communicable diseases and promotion of healthy practices among adolescents.