Hepatitis B knowledge among women of childbearing age in three slums in Mumbai: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

BackgroundMore than 17 million people in India are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Approximately one million of the 26 million children born in India annually will develop chronic HBV infection in the course of their lives. Studies have put the HBsAg prevalence rate among pregnant women in India between 0.9 % and 3.1, indicating a considerable need for public health interventions aimed at protecting their offspring from infection. The PAHAL project in Mumbai, India, conducted an HBV knowledge survey among women of childbearing age in three local slum communities preparatory to planning a comprehensive HBV education intervention targeting this population.MethodsFemale health workers approached all households in three designated slum neighborhoods: one each in the eastern suburbs (ES), western suburbs (WS) and Island City (IC). Female residents aged 18–45 were invited to participate in the study, and those who agreed to participate responded to a questionnaire that was administered in the form of an oral interview. The five sections of the questionnaire addressed demography, hepatitis B knowledge, personal risk related to hepatitis B, pregnancy and childbearing history, and the participant’s most recent pregnancy. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed.ResultsHealth workers submitted 6571 interview forms that were suitable for analysis (ES, 28 %; WS, 34 %; IC, 38 %). Large proportions of study participants were married (89 %), were not employed (94 %) and had completed less than 12 years of school (87 %). Only 240 (3.6 %) women answered yes when asked if they knew about hepatitis B. Among those women, there were high levels of accurate knowledge regarding some modes of hepatitis B transmission but low levels of accurate knowledge regarding other modes. Twenty-two percent of 739 women who had given birth within the previous 36 months reported that they had been tested for HBV during pregnancy. While 70 % of these women reported that their children had received three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, reported vaccination levels varied greatly across the three study areas.ConclusionsDespite the availability of a safe HBV vaccine, which is free for newborns and infants in many parts of India, preventing mother-to-child transmission of HBV remains a major challenge. Low awareness of HBV among women of childbearing age in Mumbai-area slums indicates a need for educational interventions targeting this population.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of hepatitis B prevention and immunization of pregnant women and mothers in northern Vietnam

“…The questionnaire was developed in Vietnamese by the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University based on its past experience with administering HBV knowledge surveys in other populations [18, 19] and a literature review of comparable studies [11, 12, 14, 20]. The questionnaire was pre-tested on 20 subjects to check the language, flow and comprehension of the questions.…”

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding echinococcosis in Xizang Autonomous Region, China

“…Disease Control and Prevention based on their past experience and a literature review of comparable studies [21][22][23]. A series of question were listed with point for each question, and zero for ignorance or mistake.…”

A study evaluating knowledge of and attitude towards hepatitis B among pregnant women at a teaching hospital in Nellore, India.

“…These findings are consistent with reports of poor hepatitis B related knowledge from other studies. [6][7][8] The lack of knowledge was consistent across all strata of society regardless of age, education, occupation, income. It was poor even among those who were not primigravida and did not differ between the three trimesters, pointing to a missed opportunity to educate them at earlier points of contact.…”

“…Only 4% of women in childbearing age had heard about hepatitis B infection in Mumbai city. 6 In this study authors aim to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of pregnant woman attending ante-natal clinics in our hospital. The findings will help in developing targeted interventions to prevent hepatitis B transmission.…”