[A cross analysis on the theoretical testing results on diagnosis of common parasitic diseases: national technique competition China].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To understand the theoretical level among technicians from disease control and prevention institutions on basic knowledge of parasitic disease diagnosis. METHODS: A national competition on basic knowledge of parasitic disease detection was organized in September, 2011, with 119 technicians participating from disease control and prevention institutions at province, prefecture or county level in 30 provinces. Database was constructed with the essential information of participants and scores of testing results. T-test or one-way Anova methods were used to analyze the scores by gender, age, professional title, institutions and places of participants. RESULTS: The scores of the competitors were in the range of 40-93 with an average value of 66.37 +/- 11.80 and a passing rate of 74.95%. No difference was shown by gender, age and professional tide (P > 0.05). Except the knowledge of helminth detection, the score on the knowledge in other aspects was higher among the technicians from provinces with control activities of schistosomiasis and other parasitic infections than those from provinces without the control activities (P < 0.05). The same was true in technicians from areas with or without malaria control activities (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The level of basic knowledge on parasite detection is low in general among technicians at the institutions of parasitic disease control, and therefore, training needs to be strengthened.