An assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice of hepatitis b infection and vaccination among residents of passo community in gwagwalada area council, abuja, nigeria

Yalma RM; Aisha Chiroma; Abubakar Imam

doi:10.46797/ijacm.v6i1.721

Yalma RM Department of Community Medicine, College of Health of Health Sciences, University of Abuja
Aisha Chiroma Department of Community Medicine, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja
Abubakar Imam Department of Community Medicine, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja

DOI https://doi.org/10.46797/ijacm.v6i1.721

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant global public health concern, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, due to its high morbidity and mortality. Hepatitis B continues to affect millions, primarily due to low awareness, poor knowledge, and limited access to preventive services. The availability of an effective vaccine has proven to be a remarkable disease modifying factor especially among high-risk population. This study aims to assess the awareness, knowledge, attitude and practice of Hepatitis B virus infection and vaccination among residents of Passo community, and also to identify factors associated with infection amongst them. A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among 258 adult residents of Passo community of Gwagwalada Area Council Abuja. Participants were selected through multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured, questionnaire which was interviewer-administered and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics such as Chi-square test, were employed to determine associations between variables. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study revealed 70.2% of the respondents were aware of hepatitis B; however, only 45.3% demonstrated good knowledge of the infection and vaccination. Tertiary education was significantly associated with better knowledge (p < 0.001). Attitude towards prevention and testing were positively associated with knowledge levels. About 63% of respondents did not know their hepatitis B status, and only 14.3% had received the hepatitis B vaccine. The majority (80%) of un-vaccinated participants cited lack of information as the reason. Although awareness was relatively high, there were substantial gaps in knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices, particularly regarding screening and vaccination. There is a critical need for community-targeted interventions to improve hepatitis B literacy and accessibility to screening and vaccination services.

Keywords: Hepatitis B, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Vaccination, Nigeria, Community Health

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