Practice towards Hepatitis B Virus Infection Prevention and Its Associated Factors among Undergraduate Students at Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa, Sidama, Ethiopia, 2021: Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background. Hepatitis B virus infection is a major global health burden accounting for 2.7% of all deaths globally. Being part of the health care system, the risk of exposure to hepatitis B viral infection among medical and health science students is found to be high. In Ethiopia, particularly in this study area, very little is known about the practice of students towards hepatitis B virus infection prevention and its associated factors. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the practice towards hepatitis B virus infection prevention and its associated factors among undergraduate students at Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa, Ethiopia, 2021. Methods and Materials. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 15 to June 15, 2021, among undergraduate students who had clinical exposure. The 404 sampled participants were recruited using a systematic random sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Data was entered into EpiData version 4.6.0 and was exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Association between the dependent and independent variables was computed using the bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model. Odds ratio was calculated. Results were interpreted as significant if P value is <0.05 at 95% CI. Result. This study revealed that 277 (69.9%) of the students were in the age group of 20-24 years and 266 (67.2%) were males. Out of 396 participants, about half 199 (50.3%) 95% CI (0.452–553) had a good practice towards hepatitis B virus infection prevention. Only 43.4% of the study participants had been completely vaccinated against hepatitis B virus. Age (20-24 years) ( AOR = 2.736 ), 95% CI (1.130-6.625), and good knowledge ( AOR = 1.990 ), 95% CI (1.207-3.282) were factors significantly associated with the practice towards hepatitis B virus infection prevention. Conclusion and Recommendation. The current study showed that about half of the study participants had good practice towards hepatitis B virus infection prevention but more than half were not completely vaccinated against HBV. Age and knowledge were factors significantly associated. It is recommended to give training for students on hepatitis B virus infection prevention. It is also advisable to screen and vaccinate students before they start their clinical attachments.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward the Prevention of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Medical Students in Medina City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…These practices reflect their commitment to maintaining infection control measures and their personal safety. Of particular significance is the high vaccination rate, which not only safeguards healthcare workers but also prevents them from becoming carriers and potentially transmitting the virus to patients [15].…”

Assessment of preventive practices towards hepatitis B infection among nursing students in Bangladesh: role of knowledge, attitudes and sociodemographic factors

“…The findings of this study revealed that participants in the 19 to 20 (younger) age group demonstrate a higher likelihood of poor practice in the prevention of HBI in contrast to those in the 23 to 24 (elderly) age group. A study conducted in Ethiopia [ 38 ] refutes our finding; they found that elderly students were more likely to have poor practice than younger students. These discrepancies are most likely due to the variations in the focus on different target group.…”

Incongruity Between Knowledge and Preventive Practices on Hepatitis B Infection Among University Students in North-eastern, Tanzania

“…The knowledge levels in study are much lower than in previous studies conducted in Iran (90%), Vietnam (79.3%), and western Ethiopia (86.2 %). [28][29][30] However, it was higher than reports from Ghana (63.9.5%) and Malaysia (50.3%). 31,32 The inclusion of both medical and non-medical students in our current study, as well as differences in the knowledge evaluation questions, could explain the discrepancy.…”