Knowledge, risk of infection, and vaccination status of hepatitis B virus among rural high school students in Nanumba North and South Districts of Ghana

Abstract

Background Hepatitis B (HB) is a viral infection that affects the liver and can lead to life-threatening conditions including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Over a billion people are estimated to be infected globally with the hepatitis B virus, with over 240 million chronically infected. Sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana is an HBV endemic area and an estimated 5%-10% of the population in the region is infected. Research on the knowledge and vaccination status of hepatitis B in rural communities in Ghana is lacking. Objectives The objectives of this study proposed were to assess the HBV knowledge, risk of HBV infection, and vaccination status of high school students in two rural districts of the Northern region on Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study of a random sample of 426 students from two senior high schools in the Nanumba North and South districts of the Northern region of Ghana on hepatitis B knowledge and vaccination status was conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and present data on demographic and knowledge variables. A Mann Whitney U test was used to compare the differences in HBV knowledge between male and female students and between students of the two high schools that were involved in the study. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to compute the association between HBV knowledge and age of students. Logistic regression was used to develop a model to predict variables that influenced vaccination against HB.

Hepatitis B vaccination status and associated factors among students of medicine and health sciences in Wolkite University, Southwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

“…The sample size was determined by using a single population proportion formula [n = (Zα/2) 2 p(1-p)/d 2 ] with an assumption of 95% confidence level, 5% margin of error (d), 44.3% proportion (p) of HBV vaccine coverage in medicine and health science students at Makerere University, Uganda [ 17 ]. Therefore, the sample size (n) = (1.96) 2 0.443(0.557)/0.05 2 = 379.…”

“…However, as part of the health care providers in Ethiopia, no study has determined HBV vaccination status and associated factors among students of medicine and health science, who were on a clinical attachment. Different literatures reported 16.81%, 44.3%, 22.5%, 37% of HBV vaccine coverage among students in Cameroon [ 16 ], Uganda [ 17 ], Ghana [ 18 ], and Nepal [ 19 ] respectively. The WHO’s targeted to eliminate HBV in 2030 [ 20 ].…”

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“…Furthermore, the improvised knowledge led to modification of lifestyle modification and made the participants more vigilant about their hepatitis B vaccination status as they got vaccinated and also checked their Anti-Hbs antibody titre levels post training. This could be explained as improved knowledge about the disease and need of vaccination has resulted in increased vaccination coverage among healthcare workers as reported by other studies [20][21][22]. Furthermore, participants who have not got themselves vaccinated, or got their Anti-Hbs titre assessed, majority of participants have shown willingness to get vaccinated or get their titre assessed.…”

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“…Since, there was no such study among HCWs assessing the impact on attitude and practices, six months after the training, authors could not correlate their findings to other studies. However, better knowledge has resulted in increased vaccination coverage among HCWs as reported by other studies [ 13 , 44 , 45 ], thus these modification in attitude and practices can be attributable to knowledge gained through training.…”

“…Moreover, despite availability of safe and effective vaccine for Hepatitis B for more than three decades, coverage of vaccination remains low among HCWs for various reasons [10]. Lack of awareness, risk assessment associated with Hepatitis B infection, low priority given by health management and policy makers and negligence towards getting themselves vaccinated are few reasons for incomplete or partial vaccination against HBV [11][12][13]. Prevalence of HBV in general population of India is 2.4% [14] whereas the prevalence of HBV in HCWs was found to be less than 1% [15][16][17].…”