Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards Hepatitis B Infection and Vaccination among Public Health Students in Ghana

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis-B (Hep-B) infection is a global public health problem of great concern which affects more than 5% of the local population in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed students' knowledge, attitude and practices towards Hepatitis B infection and vaccination at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative descriptive survey was conducted among 262 Public Health students of the University of Health and Allied Science of the Volta region of Ghana, using a multi-stage sampling technique in selecting participants. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 20.1. Results: Study respondents were mostly males, forming 69.8% as against 30.2% of their female counterparts. All (262) respondents had knowledge on Hep-B infection and the availability of a vaccine for preventing Hepatitis infection. However, despite their knowledge of existence, the majority (56.9%) of the respondents felt they did not need to be protected from Hep-B infection. Majority (58.8%) of the total respondents have been vaccinated against Hep-B infection. The study identified the cost of vaccines as a major setback to non-vaccination. However, out of the 41.

Knowledge Gaps and Determination of Attitude and Practice among Medical Students toward Hepatitis B Infection: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

“…In addition, predictors associated with a high level of KAP were noticed. The results of this study showed a high level of knowledge of hepatitis B infection among MSs (54.5%), which is consistent with the results reported among MSs in studies in Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal [19][20][21]28], and these findings demonstrate the MS's solid foundation in HBV-related knowledge, which is critical for future healthcare professionals who will be at the forefront of patient treatment. However, the result was inconsistent with studies done in Syria and Ethiopia [11,18].…”

“…Furthermore, MSs are potential future physicians and leaders, and these students need to understand the epidemiology, determinants, screening, and management of HBV to promote effective prevention, early diagnosis, and successful treatment [11]. However, the level of awareness toward HBV infection among undergraduate MSs varies globally [18][19][20][21]. Consequently, it is important for the medical colleges to identify areas of weakness in MSs and actively contribute to the training and development of the future generations of medical practitioners.…”

Hepatitis B vaccination coverage and associated factors among medical students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bosaso, Somalia 2021

“…The high pro-vaccine perception rate could be attributed to the fact that the majority of the respondents have also reported a good knowledge level of HBV infection. Furthermore, most of the respondents (76.9%) believe that they are in danger of acquiring HBV infection because of the nature of their work, this result is higher than that reported in Ghana (54.6%) (31). Overall, the good level of knowledge of HBV infection (Table 2), positive perception towards Hep B vaccination, and the good risk perception rate reported in this study could partially re ect the awareness level of the respondents as clinical-level medical students.…”