Abstract
Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been suggested to play a role in various adverse birth outcomes. The study determined the prevalence as well as knowledge of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study using simple random sampling technique was used to recruit 213 pregnant women receiving antenatal care in three different health facilities (Prampram Polyclinic (PPC), Dangme Community Hospital (DCH), and Old Ningo Health Center (ONHC)) in the Ningo-Prampram District of Ghana from November 2018 to January 2019. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data which included participants' HBsAg test results, sociodemographic and gynaecological characteristics, and their level of knowledge on HBV infection. Knowledge of the participants on HBV infection was classified as either excellent, good, or poor based on their cumulative percentage scores from the questionnaire according to Al Rubaish system of classification. Results Overall low-intermediate prevalence of HBV infection was 3.3%; however, PPC recorded the highest prevalence of 4.0% while DCH and ONHC recorded 2.82% and 2.50%, respectively. Statistically significant association was observed between HBV infection and the health facility. Majority (77.40%) of the study participants had poor knowledge on HBV infection while only 14 (6.57%) had excellent knowledge on HBV. Regarding excellent knowledge, 8 (11.0%) among the participants were demonstrated by the majority of those who received antenatal care from DCH. Generally, knowledge on HBV and the infection was poor among the study participants. Knowledge on HBV infection was found to be associated with residential status (p = 0.006), educational level (p < 0.001), occupation (p < 0.001), and gestational period (p < 0.001). Participant's knowledge was also significantly associated with the health facility (p = 0.027). Conclusion HBV infection among pregnant women is prevalent in the Ningo-Prampram District even though the prevalence is not very high. The majority of pregnant women in the Ningo-Prampram District inadequate knowledge on HBV infection and it mode of transmission. Intensive public health education on the HBV infection is required in the district to help prevent and manage future transmissions as well as inform the population about the negative side effects of the virus and the need to prevent it by way of vaccination.
Highlights
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been suggested to play a role in various adverse birth outcomes
Studies have indicated that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global challenge, with onethird of the world’s population having serological evidence of current or previous infection [6] and progression of the disease towards cirrhosis, liver failure, or hepatocellular carcinoma occurring in 15-40% of infected subjects [7]
In a survey to assess the knowledge of attitudes and practices of hepatitis B management of pregnant women and healthcare practitioners at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, over 20% (44 of 209) of the women were uncertain that HBV could be transmitted to their children, almost 23% (47 of 209) of them had no knowledge of how HBV could be transmitted, and more than 50% were unaware that HBV could be transmitted from a mother to her unborn child [23]
Summary
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been suggested to play a role in various adverse birth outcomes. The study determined the prevalence as well as knowledge of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. In Ghana, some studies on the prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women have been carried out in different parts of the country with varying prevalence rates reported These include a prevalence of 10.6% recorded in the Eastern Region of Ghana [18], 9.5% in the Asante Akim North District of the Ashanti region [19], 12.6% in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana [20], 2.4% in Ho Municipal Hospital Antenatal Clinic in the Volta region of Ghana [21], and 16.7% in Eikwe, Western Region, Ghana [22]. Studies on the case of HBV infection and knowledge about the disease among pregnant women in the Ningo-Prampram District are, non-existent
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