Hepatitis B awareness among medical students and their vaccination status

Hepatitis B awareness among medical students

Abstract

Background & Objective: Hepatitis B infection is one of the most prevalent health issues globally. Health workers are more vulnerable to this infection because they come in contact with blood and other body fluids. The present study was aimed to assess Hepatitis B awareness and vaccination status among medical students.

Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted by department of Community Medicine, Lahore Medical & Dental College. The duration of study was three months. A Structured questionnaire was used for data collection. It was divided in three sections. The first part was related to background information, second part consisted of knowledge about Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and third part consisted of questions regarding vaccination status.

Results:

Among the respondents 50% were males and 50% females. According to 85% of the students, blood transfusion is a risk factor for contracting HBV. Jaundice, a symptom of hepatitis B, was reported by 77% of the students. 76% agreed that HBV infection can lead to cirrhosis, while 57% mentioned liver cancer as a possible outcome. A majority of respondents (97%) agreed that hepatitis B is preventable, and 92% of students stated that vaccination can protect against the infection. Regarding vaccination status, 53% of students were vaccinated, with 79% of them being fully vaccinated.

Conclusion: Medical students were well aware about hepatitis B infection. As health professionals are vulnerable to develop hepatitis B infection, every medical college should make policies regarding HBV screening as well as vaccination of medical students and medical faculty.