Factors Influencing Hepatitis-B Infection among Traditional Birth Attendants in Ikenne Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors influencing Hepatitis B infection and vaccine uptake among traditional birth attendants in Ikenne Local Government Area, Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional survey design. The study population were TBAS in the LGA. The study utilized a total enumeration sampling method of 70 registered traditional birth attendants in Ikenne LGA. Data collected, were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. All statistical tests were at 5% level of significance. Majority were more females than males 6 (11.5%). TBAs had no formal education; 24 (46.2%) TBAs had between 1 and 10 years of experience in their occupation and mean±SD of the years of experience reported by all the TBAs was 15.13±9.65 years. TBAs had a low level of knowledge on HBV (mean±SD = 5.81±2.78). Majority had good perception towards HBV. Years of experience had no statistical relationship with the knowledge on HBV (r = -0.180; p = 0.201). Knowledge had a statistically significant relationship with practice of preventive measures (r = 0.382; p = 0.005) with a 14.6% contribution (r2 = 0.146) of the variation observed. The study concludes that adequate knowledge of TBAs on hepatitis B will induce a change in TBAs‟ practice of preventive measures against the infection.

Key words: Hepatitis B, Traditional Birth Attendants, Vaccine, Knowledge, Prevention