Zoonoses are a public health issue and highlight the importance of the One Health approach. Their prevention relies on health literacy, particularly among future health professionals, who will play a key role in health prevention. The aim of this study is to assess and compare the perceived knowledge of French health students regarding the One Health approach and zoonoses with that of students in other fields of study.

A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among higher education students in France (n=960). Using a self-administered questionnaire based on the CCiC scale, the study explores three dimensions: anthropocentric knowledge, responsible environmental knowledge, and responsible environmental health knowledge.

Non-parametric statistical tests show that health students report a better understanding of the health issues related to zoonoses than other students. However, no significant differences were observed in the environmental and environmental health dimensions. Across all students, environmental health knowledge was the highest, followed by environmental knowledge and then anthropocentric knowledge.

These results suggest that training in the health professions primarily promotes an approach focused on the health risks of zoonoses, without necessarily reinforcing an integrated vision of the One Health approach with regard to the risk they pose to human health. This highlights the importance of strengthening the integration of the One Health approach in the training of future health professionals.