A Study to Evaluate the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Hepatitis B Vaccination Among Medical, Dental, Nursing and Physiotherapy Students

Abstract

Introduction: The term ‘hepatitis’ describes an inflammation of the liver. A viral infection commonly causes it, but there are other possible causes of hepatitis. These include hepatitis caused by drugs, alcohol, toxins and other pharmaceuticals, as well as hepatitis caused by autoimmune conditions. The World Health Organisation suggested that by the close of the 20th century, all nations should include the Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) in their regular infant and childhood immunisation regimens. Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of Hepatitis B vaccination among students attending medical, dental, nursing and physiotherapy courses. Materials and Methods: Students studying medicine, dentistry, nursing and physiotherapy at a tertiary health care facility in Kerala’s Kozhikode district are participating in this cross-sectional survey. A structured, open-ended questionnaire that the self-administered knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) used to gather information regarding HBV infection and vaccination was employed to assess the KAP. For the assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice, appropriate scoring was carried out. Utilising SPSS Software version 20.0, the data was analysed. Results: Out of the total 335 students who responded, 256 (76.4%) students were vaccinated, 232 (69.3%) showed poor knowledge towards Hepatitis B vaccination, 6 (16.7%) were not vaccinated and the remaining 23 (6.9%) are not sure about vaccination status. About 38.8% of students have good practice and show a significant association between knowledge, attitude and practice of Hepatitis B vaccination among students. Conclusion: This study shows an association between knowledge, attitude and practice of Hepatitis B vaccination among students, implying that a better understanding of the disease has a positive effect on the practices exercised by an individual.