Introduction

Travelling by plane has become a crucial part of life for many people. The longer the flight, the higher the risk of travel-associated venous thromboembolism also referred to as economy class syndrome (ECS). The syndrome refers to both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism that occur following prolonged immobility during travel. Higher mobility of today’s students increases their risk of developing ECS. The better the knowledge, the higher the chance for efficient prevention measures. The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge about ECS in a sample of students (from medical fields vs. non-medical fields).

Material and methods

The group consisted of 114 students – 66 students from a medical field of study and 48 from other fields. For the purpose of the study we enrolled 114 participants (mean age 22.3 years, 18–29; standard deviation 1.8) via an online questionnaire (with a complete set of answers). Statistical analysis was carried out with the use of Microsoft Office Excel via Microsoft 365 and RStudio (vR 4.4.1).

Results

Overall, medical students had better knowledge on the definitions, causes/risk factors, and prophylactic measures than non-medical students. At the same time students from medical fields scored lower than one might have anticipated, knowing that the analysed topic is obligatory in the curricula of their studies.

Conclusions

Both medical and non-medical students would benefit from improved education regarding travel-associated venous thromboembolism, particularly with respect to risk factors and evidence-based preventive strategies.