Undergraduate health science students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about hepatitis B virus infection prevention at Addis Ababa university, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B (HB) is a serious liver-damaging infection that is caused by the HB virus (HBV). Healthcare professionals are especially susceptible to HB, a serious global public health concern. The aim of this study was to assess the undergraduate health science students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the prevention of HBV infection. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among third- and fourth-year health science students at the college of health sciences (CHS), Addis Ababa university (AAU) in Ethiopia. Self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Chi square was used to examine the relationship between the outcome variables (mean knowledge, attitude, and practice) and a few socio-demographic factors (age, sex, and year of study). Statistical significance will be determined by p values less than 0.05. Results: Half of the study participants had adequate knowledge about the HBV. More than half (55%) of research participants were in favor of the HBV vaccination. The Chi square test was used to look at the association between the participants' mean knowledge score and specific socio-demographic characteristics. However, no significant association has been found with any of the selected socio-demographic variables. Conclusions: While undergraduate health science students generally demonstrate an acceptable level of knowledge and positive attitudes toward HBV infection prevention, there remain significant gaps in practice, particularly regarding vaccination uptake and adherence to standard precautions.