Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) of Hepatitis B (HBV) Infection among Tertiary Institution Students in the South-Western States of Nigeria

Abstract

The Hepatitis B virus creates a global health burden with undesirable morbidity and mortality statistics. It is a serious health problem in developing countries resulting in chronic liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatic failure. Good knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of Hepatitis B infection (HBI) are essential for control. However, there is limited evidence concerning the KAP of HBV among undergraduates who are significantly exposed to the infection. To address this gap in knowledge, a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,000 undergraduate students in the southwestern states of Nigeria. The study assesses the participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to HBV infection prevention. The study participants were 414 males and 586 females. The majority of the participants were within the age range of 17-20 years (50.6%), followed by 21-24 years (38.8%), 25-28 years (9.6%), and a small percentage above 28 years (1.0%). The majority of the students were aware that Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver and is transmitted through contaminated infected blood (67.3%). However, a small percentage believed it was a problem of indigestion (7.7%), a common ailment (6.9%), or a disease found in rural areas (10.9%). Our study revealed that the respondents had an average level of knowledge of an average attitude to, but poor practice towards, HBV vaccination. The poor practice was attributed to the non-availability of the vaccine. It is therefore suggested that enlightenment campaigns on HBV infection should be carried out from time to time. The government should also provide students and the public with easy access to the HBV vaccine as well as post-vaccination tests to verify immunity.