Assessment of the Knowledge and Vaccination Status of Hepatitis B Among High School Students In Sagnarigu District, Ghana

Abstract

Background: According to a 2015 WHO report, 5-10% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa are chronically infected with the Hepatitis B virus.

Objective: The study sought to assess the knowledge of HBV infection, its mode of transmission, and the attitude towards its vaccination among high school students in the Sagnarigu district of the Northern Region.

Material and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional survey, a purposive sampling technique was used to select the schools out of the lot found in the district due to their locations, populations, and varying social status of students in those schools, and simple random sampling was used to select respondents from March to July 2017 in the Sagnarigu district of the Northern Region of Ghana. An anonymous questionnaire was designed for the study based on the research objectives and this was used in the collection of data. The results obtained were presented in the form of tables & graphs and were analyzed statistically.

Results: The study revealed that a significant proportion of the respondents, specifically 343 individuals (92.2%), were aware of HBV infection, and many of them possessed adequate knowledge about the infection. In terms of transmission, 198 individuals (53.2%) correctly identified sexual intercourse as a mode of transmission, while 257 individuals (69.1%) were aware that sharing toothbrushes with an infected person could lead to transmission. vaccination, with 210 individuals (56.5%) expressing willingness to receive the vaccination. However, the actual vaccination rate was relatively low, with only 90 individuals (24.2%) reporting that they had received the vaccination.

Conclusion: There is an urgent need to increase student vaccination rates and raise awareness about HBV infection. We recommend that second-cycle students be vaccinated and educated at the time of admission to help reduce the spread of the infection and raise awareness.