Background: Hepatitis B is the liver inflammatory disease caused by Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B infection is a major health problem worldwide. Number of infected people is liable to increase. The disease run chronic course causing a financial drain of family sources. In India the carrier rate of Hepatitis B is high among health care personnel. Nurses are probably the most commonly exposed to this risk right from their student career.
Objectives: To assess the knowledge and awareness of the infectious nature of the HBV, its mode of transmission, prevention and vaccination among nursing students.
Materials and Methods: 134 nursing students participated in this Cross sectional, descriptive institutional based study. The study was carried using a structured questionnaire proforma. The questionnaire consisted of 3 parts with 20 different questions to assess the knowledge and awareness about Hepatitis B virus, mode of transmission, prevention and vaccination.
Results: On an average 53.8% of the participants were correct regarding knowledge on Hepatitis B infection. 71.0% were having correct knowledge about mode of transmission whereas 69.3% have correct knowledge that it is a vaccine preventable infection and dose.
Conclusion: Nursing students showed poor knowledge on causative agent, hazards of Hepatitis B infection. It was observed that the knowledge regarding items like unprotected sexual exposure, needle stick injury causes hepatitis B infection and it cannot be transmitted by handshaking were low among respondents. This indicates the importance of informed and evidence based education programmes among these healthcare profession.
Key words: Hepatitis B, Knowledge, Awareness, Nursing students
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