Assessing the knowledge of expectant mothers on mother–to-child transmission of viral hepatitis B in Upper West region of Ghana

Abstract

BackgroundViral Hepatitis B is of a major public health concern globally, especially in developing countries. Expectant mothers’ knowledge of Mother-To-Child Transmission (MTCT) of the disease is significant in preventing the spread from an infected mother to her child. This study sought to assess the expectant mothers’ knowledge of Mother-To-Child Transmission of viral hepatitis B in the Wa Municipality and Lawra District of Upper West Region, Ghana.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study with a multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select a total of 450 study respondents (expectant mothers), and a semi-structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. Respondents were interviewed using face-to-face interview technique.ResultsMajority (54.0%) of the respondents were aged between 25 and 35 years and the results were similar in both districts. Overall, 62.4% (281/450) of the respondents had at least Junior High level education, and 76.2% (343/450) were multigravida. Educational levels among respondents in the two areas were above 50.0% and considered relatively high. Respondents’ general knowledge of hepatitis B infection and disease was 46.0% (208/450). However, there was a slight difference between the two districts (40.1% in Lawra District and 51.6% in Wa Municipality). The overall knowledge level on MTCT of viral hepatitis B among the respondents was 34.7% (156/450): the Wa Municipality recorded higher knowledge (43.3%) compared to 24.8% in Lawra District.ConclusionThe knowledge level of the expectant mothers on MTCT of viral hepatitis B is relatively low in Upper West Region, Ghana. Majority of the respondents had some form of formal education. The age, marital status, education, occupation, gravity and family setup were found to be associated with knowledge of Hepatitis B infection and MTCT. Thus, there is urgent need to intensify efforts of health staff to educate expectant mothers. In addition, home education and outreach activities should be intensified on HBV infection as well as MTCT. Consequently, planning, implementation and execution of preventive activities, especially in the antenatal clinics should critically consider the social and demographic variations of mothers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-017-2490-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Correlates of hepatitis B awareness and disease-specific knowledge among pregnant women in Northern and Central Uganda: a cross-sectional study

“…The effect of years of formal education on comprehensive HBV knowledge, was not modified by region of residence. This finding is consistent with findings among pregnant populations within SSA [28,43].…”

Prevalence of malaria and hepatitis B among pregnant women in Northern Ghana: Comparing RDTs with PCR

“…This finding buttresses the point that improving SES of people in endemic areas would enormously help in reducing incidence of malaria [23]. However, the study found no influence of SES on the prevalence of HBV mono-infection, which may be explained by the fact that knowledge and awareness of hepatitis B is generally low in the Ghanaian population, irrespective of social class [38][39][40][41]. Therefore, raising awareness of hepatitis B in all socio-economic facets of the Ghanaian population, could help reduce the burden of the disease and co-infection with malaria.…”

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice towards Hepatitis B Virus among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

“…In addition, in a crosssectional study conducted in China in 2017, only 21% of the participants were able to answer all the general knowledge-related questions correctly [7]. Similarly, a study conducted in Ghana in 2014 revealed that less than half of the participants (46.2%) knew about hepatitis B infection and its disease [13]. Moreover, a study conducted in the Buea Health District, Cameroon, in 2012 showed that <20% of the participants had the correct knowledge [15].…”

“…On the other hand, a study conducted in Ghana showed that only 49% of respondents knew that HBV can be transmitted through blood and 42.8% of the respondents knew that unprotected sex could lead to HBV transmission [13]. One previous study conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, revealed that 60.8% pregnant women were within the poor knowledge range, 18.9% respondents said that transmission could occur from mother to child during pregnancy, and 57.3% of pregnant women showed negative practice [14].…”

“…In the presence of high magnitude, rapid rate of transmission, and severe complications including death in pregnant women and infants, the infection is still prevalent [13]. Among pregnant women, these illnesses can lead to coagulation defects, postpartum hemorrhage, organ failure, and high maternal death and poor outcomes of their newborns such as stillbirths, neonatal deaths, acute and chronic liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma [14].…”