Abstract:

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection continues to be a significant cause of disease burden like acute and chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although HBV vaccination is clearly the most effective strategy for preventing hepatitis B infection, the extent to which such a strategy is practiced or how the society follows it at the health care facilities have not been precisely evaluated. Awareness, attitude and practice studies are representative of a specific population by collecting information on what is known, believed and practiced. Awareness is usually assessed to evaluate how patients understand and know, attitude assessed on how patients think and feel in a particular way and practices usually involves about the use and uptake of hepatitis B vaccination. Therefore, this study evaluated awareness, attitude and practices on hepatitis B vaccination.

Method: A questionnaire-based, a cross-sectional study was conducted among patients at Bugando Medical Centre. A total of 200 patients were selected randomly and included in this study but serious and illiterate patients were excluded. Awareness, attitude and practices information of patients on hepatitis B vaccination was collected by a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 software.

Results: Out of 200 participants, majority 125 (62.5%) were females, the age most of them ranging between 31-50 years about 93 (46.5%), majority 153 (76.5%) of participants were from town areas and education level 70(35%) were college/university. Majority 150 (75%) were aware about hepatitis B vaccine. Attitude was generally positive as 151 (75.5%) were ready to be vaccinated and have positive as 151 (75.5%) were ready to be vaccinated and have positive beliefs and thinking on HBV vaccine as preventive measure against HBV infections. Only 32 (16%) of the respondents have received hepatitis B vaccine.

Conclusion: The findings reflect respondents had good awareness and good attitude but poor practices towards hepatitis B vaccination. So, there is a need for government to provide free vaccine, taking action towards especially establishment of newborns programs for vaccination in every health facility and enhancing public health education to improve hepatitis B vaccine uptake. Also emphasizes and supporting for more hepatitis B vaccine awareness, attitude and practices research programs.