Knowledge and attitudes concerning hepatitis B infection and prevention among residents of Kaliro Town Council
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Date
2019-04-30
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Kampala International University, School of Health Sciences
Abstract
Hepatitis B infection is a serious blood-borne disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) which attacks the liver, and is the leading cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. HBV can be transmitted through exposure to infected blood and human secretions through needle stick / sharps injuries and splashes. The aim of the study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes towards hepatitis B virus test and vaccination among the peoples of Kaliro. A cross-sectional quantitative survey on 240 people was conducted eight zones of Kaliro Town Council, using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire with questions on knowledge and attitudes. Of 240 questionnaires distributed, 225 people returned completed forms (response rate: 96.7% [29/30]). The majority were females (86.8% [136/240]) and were below 31 years of age (30.1% [93/225]). The majority (87.6% [156/225]) had good knowledge of the causes and prevention of HBV. The unvaccinated respondents had fairly low positive attitudes. The response rate of the people was similar to the other study findings. There was a significant difference in the response rate among the eight zones of the town council. Industrial area zone and Nakiyanjja zone had very good response rates of 96.7% (29/30) and 95% (38/40), while Bukilindi zone, Budini zone and Kaliro zone had fair response rates of 90% (18/20), 92% (23/25) and 92% (23/25) respectively. There is one notable trend throughout this analysis of group differences, is that people enrolled at zones; Industrial area and Nakiyanja posted significantly higher scores than their colleagues at other zones across all but one index, indicating that these people are more knowledgeable, have better attitudes, and exhibit better behaviors than many of their peers. However, the lower scores in the other zones could have been limited by the small number of participants especially in Bukilindi zone
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of Kampala International University
Keywords
Hepatitis B infection and prevention, Kaliro Town Council