Perceptions of general education on occupational health and safety among college students in Taiwan.

Undergraduate students were surveyed to assess their awareness of and interest in health and safety education. Out of 5258 questionnaires distributed among 66 colleges and universities in Taiwan, 4474 questionnaires were returned. The respondents were asked to provide demographic information and to respond to questions about a proposed college course in general occupational health and safety (OHS) and questions about 30 OHS topics. Their awareness and learning interest about each topic were evaluated on a 4-point scale. Statistical analysis of variance and logistic linear regression were performed. Only 13% of respondents had previously taken health and safety courses. More than 39% of respondents indicated that they would take general OHS courses if the courses were offered by their colleges. Student motivation to take OHS courses was apparently related to their experience in OHS coursework, their academic background, and their current learning interest in the 30 OHS topics. Students with natural science or engineering backgrounds tended to express strong interest in OHS topics and courses. In conclusion, implementing general health and safety education in college is recommended. In addition, developing an OHS course module system would meet student expectations, as courses would consider the learning interests and needs of students with different college majors.