Hepatitis B infection and vaccination: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among primary health care personnel in Lucknow

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B is a major global health problem and one of the most serious type of viral hepatitis, but it can be prevented with strategies like safe and effective vaccination, increasing awareness and by adhering to universal precautions. Objective: The present study aimed to assess the knowledge attitude and practice concerning Hepatitis B infection among the health care personnel in selected Primary Health Care Centres in Lucknow. Materials and methods: Cross-Sectional study was conducted among health care personnel working at the Primary Health Centres in Lucknow. A total of 89 health care personnel comprising of medical officers, staff nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists including class IV workers present on the day of data collection were included in the study and interviewed using pretested questionnaire. Descriptive summary using frequencies, proportions and percentages were used to present study results. Result: Majority (93.4%) of the medical officers were aware about type of hepatitis, while knowledge regarding same was comparatively low among staff nurses, paramedical staff and class IV workers (20.0%, 21.8% and 4.5% respectively). Knowledge about symptoms of hepatitis B was found minimal (9.1%) among class IV workers and paramedical staff (18.7%) as compared to doctors (80.0%) and staff nurse (35.0%). Only 13.6% of class IV worker had concern to report each and every case of needle stick injury. Practice to strictly follow of universal precautions and biomedical waste management guidelines was found to be least (9.1% and 18.1% respectively) among class IV workers. Conclusion: The study revealed sub-optimal KAP in concern to several aspects of Hepatitis B infection among primary healthcare personnel. Therefore insights a need to increase the knowledge level as well ideal behaviour in practice through quality training and proper orientation programmes for health care personnel to prevent the spread of hepatitis B infection.