Living with hepatitis B virus infection; media messaging matters

Abstract

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is of public health importance due to its high prevalence and infectivity. A positive test for HBV has psychological, emotional, and socio-economic implications that may affect the quality of life of the clients. The media is a major source of information and awareness creation on many health related issues including HBV. This study explored how media messaging on HBV influenced coping among persons infected with HBV. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted among clients who reported at the STI clinic for routine care at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Descriptive content analysis involving deductive and inductive approaches were applied. The findings show that radio was the main source of HBV related information. Misinformation on the transmission, chronicity and prognoses of HBV infection was mostly conveyed by traditional medicine practitioners on the media. These resulted in adverse emotional, social, and physical reactions such as fear and panic, isolation and loneliness, sleeplessness and unsafe health seeking behaviours. However, access to scientific information from health professionals resulted in empowerment and positive coping. More need to be done to regulate the content of HBV-related messages aired so as to avoid misinformation and its consequent negative impact on coping.

Barriers to Timely Administration of Hepatitis B Birth Dose Vaccine to Neonates of Mothers With Hepatitis B in Ghana: Midwives’ Perspectives

“…We relate this observation to healthcare providers’ insufficient pre-test and post-test counselling on the efficacy and overall benefit of the HepB-BD vaccine (Kolbila et al, 2022). Prior evidence supports our contention that healthcare providers do not give adequate informational support to people with hepatitis B to make informed decisions about relevant interventions that could benefit them and their immediate contacts (Abraham et al, 2021; Chabrol et al, 2019; Wallace et al, 2011). This is of concern because the formal health care system and providers continue to be major sources of hepatitis-related information, particularly in Ghana.…”

The Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Health Seeking Behaviors of Adults Living With Chronic Conditions: A View Through the Health Belief Model

“…In this relatively new pandemic, participants relied also on information gathered through the increased media reportage. Studies have identified the increasing reliance on the media for health related information 27 , 28 among people with chronic diseases. Its noteworthy that, although information abounded during the peak of the pandemic, myths and the lack of information targeted at different groups of persons having varied health needs resulted in uninformed decision making such as miss appointments at the chronic disease clinic resulting with one client suffering a stroke in this study.…”

Challenges and ways of coping of parturient women with chronic hepatitis B in Ghana during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative inquiry

“…Numerous studies have linked herbal medicine to illness survival. As such, pursuing various healing options gave participants optimism of getting healed mostly due to the lack of access to hepatitis B treatment choices in hospitals 10 14 28…”