Feasibility of a questionnaire on asbestos awareness among students: a pilot study

Background: there is no resolutive treatment for asbestos-related diseases, but prevention plays a key role. This survey was conducted to test the feasibility of a questionnaire to measure the awareness on asbestos among the students in a specific asbestos polluted area. Furthermore, we carried out a preliminary assessment of student awareness on this topic. Methods: a questionnaire was used among secondary school students of Casale Monferrato. This considered the levels of sensitivity, knowledge, and experienced emotions. Results: 788 students completed the questionnaire out of a total of 3600 (22.2%). Thirty-five percent of the students were poorly informed about the asbestos issue, 26% felt that they had basic information on this topic. Twelve percent of the students thought that asbestos is no longer a problem. Conclusions: it emerges the strong need to become more knowledgeable on asbestos’ history. A questionnaire is a useful tool, but structural changes are needed to facilitate the analysis of the results.