Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding hepatitis B among medical students in a private medical college in Kochi

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B virus is transmitted by body fluids, such as blood and serum. Sexual transmission, vertical transmission, and unsafe injections, including intravenous drug use, are the most common routes of infection for Hepatitis B infection. Medical students have a very important role in preventing the disease by improving the disease knowledge among themselves and the patients they will eventually treat.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted to assess the KAP among medical students of the first three academic years regarding hepatitis B virus infection. The sample size was 222 students. Data were collected from 230 students using a semi structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS v20.Results: Among 230 medical students, 79.1% students had good knowledge about hepatitis B whereas 84.3% of the respondents had the right attitude towards hepatitis B. The practice component was low with only 44.8% of the respondents having correct practice regarding hepatitis B infection.Conclusions: Although the knowledge and attitude regarding hepatitis B infection is high, the practice levels are low indicating the need to encourage proper practices among the medical students.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Hepatitis B Vaccination among Clinical Medical Students at a Medical College in Nepal

“…In the current study, majority (95.6%) of the respondents had good knowledge of hepatitis B vaccination. Similar, good knowledge were demonstrated by 77.07% and 79.1% in the studies by Vasantha et al 8 and Jacob et al 9 in India respectively. But in Senegal, majority of 73% showed poor knowledge in the study by Fortes et al 10 Among the respondents in the current study, 83.3% knew that hepatitis B is not spread by handshaking.…”

“…Poor practice was common among medical students in many studies as well. It was 55.2% and 66.6% in the Indian studies by Jacob et al 9 and Vasantha et al 8 Only 37.7% had tested for Hepatitis B in the current study, whereas, more than half (56.5%) and 55.6% had screened for HBV infection in the studies by Alhowaish et al 11 and Fortes et al 10 respectively. It was even better (79.5%) in the study by Vasantha et al 8 Many studies have demonstrated a low rate of complete vaccination among medical students.…”

“…But in Senegal, majority of 73% showed poor knowledge in the study by Fortes et al 10 Among the respondents in the current study, 83.3% knew that hepatitis B is not spread by handshaking. It was reported by 93% medical students in the study by Jacob et al 9 In the current study, 78.4 % medical students knew about effective hepatitis B vaccine .Whereas even greater frequencies of knowledge by 86.5%, 89.6% and 94.6% medical students were documented in the studies by Alhowaish et al 11 in Saudi Arabia, Jacob et al 9 and Vasantha et al 8 in India respectively.…”

“…In the current study, 58.8% clinical medical students had vaccinated at least once but complete vaccines were received by only 47.1%. Among the respondents, 48.5% were immunized at least once but complete vaccination were received by only 34.5% in the study by Jacob et al 9 In a similar study by Chhabra et al 12 , 82.8% students underwent vaccination but only 62.4% completed the recommended three doses of vaccination schedule. In a similar study by Alhowaish et al 11 , 69.5% had received HBV vaccine but only 38% of them had received the complete doses respectively.…”

“…Majority (97.1%) of the respondents had positive attitude towards Hepatitis B vaccination. In India, studies by Vasantha et al 8 , Chhabra et al 12 and Jacob et al 9 reported positive attitude by 77.56%, 80.6% and 84.3% respectively. Whereas, 67.6% of the students demonstrated a poor attitude in the study by Fortes et al 10 in Senegal.…”