Hepatitis-B Immunization Insights among Healthcare Community
Description
Background: Hepatitis B is a viral infection. It can be prevented through awareness and vaccination. Healthcare professionals are constantly at risk of being exposed to the infection. However, there have always been some misconceptions regarding the vaccination program among the people of Pakistan. This has influenced the attitudes and practices of people in general and healthcare workers in specific towards the Hepatitis-B vaccination. Objective: To assess knowledge, practices and attitude factors regarding Hepatitis-B vaccination among Muzaffarabad medical students and healthcare professionals. Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional survey was conducted by circulating a self-structured questionnaire among the Medical Students and Healthcare Workers of Muzaffarabad. The sample size was calculated to be 197 using RAOSOFT. Results: Out of 250 respondents, 157 were females and 93 were males. The overall data suggests a high level of knowledge and awareness (99.2%). Hepatitis B vaccination was about 21.2%, highlighting a gap in vaccination coverage that needs to be addressed. The majority recommending vaccination to others about 83.6% indicates a positive attitude towards vaccination promotion within the community. Conclusions: This study offers valuable insights into the awareness and perception of hepatitis B among medical students with clinical experience and healthcare workers (HOs and PGs). Notably, the study revealed a high level of general awareness about hepatitis B among the participants, reflecting the effectiveness of public health campaigns and medical education efforts.
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The vaccination coverage was ascertained using an analytical cross-sectional study methodology, which was carried out at two tertiary care facilities located in Muzaffarabad. Using the Raosoft Calculator, the sample size was determined with 80% research power and a 95% confidence interval. An estimated sample size of 197 was used. In the investigation, a cluster sampling approach was applied. The target population was divided into clusters (groups) like Medical Students (only Fourth and Final Years students of Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College Muzaffarabad, Healthcare Workers (house officers, medical officers and, post-graduate trainees) of Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences Muzaffarabad and Healthcare Workers (house officers, medical officers, and post-graduate trainees) of Combined Military Hospital Muzaffarabad. The participants were then selected from these clusters. Through 4 sections we assessed knowledge about infection, its vaccination, vaccination status, attitudes and perceptions regarding the effectiveness of vaccines and willingness to get vaccinated. The study participants' sociodemographic traits, vaccination knowledge, practice, attitude factors, and awareness of hepatitis B infection were all independent variables. We used questions about Hepatitis B infection and vaccination to gauge knowledge. Scores were used to represent a continuous variable. An open-ended questionnaire was designed to gather information about the variables affecting the hepatitis B vaccine and the vaccination itself. Forty-five healthcare professionals participated in the questionnaire's pre-test. The Ethical Approval Board of Ajk Medical College granted written consent for the study to be carried out in these facilities. Before any data was collected, healthcare personnel gave their informed written consent. The questionnaire contained the Demographics (06 questions; YES/NO), Knowledge about Hepatitis-B Infection (07 questions; YES/NO), Knowledge about Vaccination (07 questions; YES/NO), Practice (05 questions; YES/NO), Attitude Factors (05 questions; 4 points Likert Scale). Appropriate measures were taken during the study's design and analysis phases to overcome relevant biases and preserve the caliber of the research. To prevent recollection bias, vaccination coverage and exposure to any sharp injuries were also verified in the health records of healthcare workers. Bias was avoided in the questionnaire's design. For each quantitative variable, we determined the mean standard deviation. Using version 25 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).Different demographic variables were evaluated including participation by gender, institute and qualification. Knowledge, practices and attitude factors were also analyzed and evaluated in this article. Multivariable regression analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were done to find significance among various variables.
Institutions
- Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College Muzaffarabad