2022, Vol. 4, Issue 1, Part A

Introduction: Hepatitis B Virus infection and Hepatitis C Virus infection is a global health problem affecting millions of people worldwide, causing an estimated 1.3 million deaths each year from acute infection and hepatitis-related liver cancer and cirrhosis. It is estimated that more than two billion people are infected with Hepatitis B virus worldwide and about 350 million of them suffer from chronic Hepatitis B virus infection. There is also about 177.5 million carriers of Hepatitis C virus, resulting in about 350,000 global deaths occur every year. Health education regarding about risk factors of Hepatitis B and C infection and knowledge regarding prevention of transmission is helpful in decreasing the Hepatitis B and C infection among adults in community. The aim of this study is to assess the risk factors of Hepatitis B and C infection and knowledge regarding its transmission among adults.

Methods: Quantitative research study using survey method was used for the present study. Convenient sampling technique was used to enrolled 500 adults attending a selected clinic at Delhi Government Dispensary, Chhatarpur, Delhi. A structured tool was prepared to assess the risk factors of Hepatitis B and C infection among adults. A structured knowledge questionnaire was prepared to assess the knowledge regarding transmission of Hepatitis B and C among adults.

Results: The mean knowledge score of the adults was 5.6 with the mean percentage of 37.4 percent. The knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 13 with a standard deviation of 3.17. The knowledge score was highest in the domain ‘Transmission of Hepatitis B and C infection’ with mean score 2.80 and mean percentage score of 46.8 percent followed by the knowledge in domain ‘General information regarding Hepatitis B and C infection’ with a mean score 1.57 and mean percentage of 31.4 percent. The least knowledge was found in domain ‘Prevention of transmission of Hepatitis B and C infection’ with a mean score 1.24 and mean percentage of 31 percent. There was significant association found between knowledge regarding prevention of transmission of Hepatitis B and C with type of family of the adults (p= 0.01). There was significant association between knowledge and the risk factors namely, History of dental procedures (p= 0.01), History of jaundice (p= 0.01, History of working in hospital/ clinic (p= 0.02), History of handling biomedical waste in biomedical waste management unit/ hospital (p= 0.01), Sharing of razors (p= 0.001) and regularly visiting barber shop for shaving (p= 0.03).

Conclusion: It concluded that adults had least knowledge in the domain ‘Prevention of Hepatitis B and C infection’. The knowledge regarding prevention of transmission is associated with risk factors namely, History of dental procedures, History of jaundice, History of working in hospital/ clinic, History of handling biomedical waste in biomedical waste management unit/ hospital, Sharing of razors and Regular visiting barber shop for shaving.