Objective To investigate the characteristics and interrelationships between knowledge, preventive practice, and information sources of infectious diseases among Chinese children.

Methods This study used data collected from the baseline survey of a China national multi-centered cluster-randomized controlled trial in 2013. A total of 30,287 children completed a questionnaire package that included measures for knowledge, preventive practice and information sources related to infectious diseases.

Results The mean scores of knowledge and prevention practices of infectious diseases were 2.35 and 12.16, respectively. Children received information about infectious diseases primarily through school, other individuals, and electronic media. Knowledge and practices among children differed significantly across gender, age, single-child, living with parents or not, residence(urban/rural), regions, parental age and parents’ education levels. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that higher levels of knowledge(b = 0.102), and receiving information through schools(b = 0.054), electronic media(b = 0.016), and paper media(b = 0.054) were significantly associated with better preventive practice.

Conclusions Children’s knowledge and various sources of access to information significantly predicted the prevention practice score. It might add value to future interventions and policy-making in promoting preventive measures for infectious diseases.