Hepatitis B Virus Knowledge and Vaccination Status among Health‐care Workers in Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The World Health Organization estimates that 2 million health‐care workers (HCWs) are at risk of occupational exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV), with the majority (90%) of such infections arising in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to determine HBV knowledge and vaccination uptake among HCWs.

Materials and Method: This was a cross sectional analytical study conducted among 392 HCWs from two major health institutions in Calabar i.e. the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and the General Hospital Calabar (GHC), Cross river State. Multi-staged sampling method comprising of two stages was used to recruit participants into the study. The study population comprised of doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists/technologist, and other categories of HCWs such as pharmacists, ward orderlies, and mortuary attendants. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on the socio-demographic characteristics of HCWs, the knowledge of HCWs regarding HBV and vaccine. The analysis of data was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional, study of HCWs in Calabar.

Sampling Method: Multi-staged sampling method was used to select participants from two major health institutions in Calabar, i.e., the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and the General Hospital Calabar (GHC). Thereafter, through balloting, simple random sampling technique was used to recruit the participants.

Study Population: Three hundred and ninety-two HCWs were recruited from UCTH and GHC under the following categories: doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists/technologist, and other categories of HCWs such as pharmacists, ward orderlies, and mortuary attendants.

Data Management: A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on the socio-demographic characteristics of HCWs, the knowledge of HCWs regarding HBV and vaccine. The analysis of data was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.

Results: Overall, 67.9% of the respondents were found to have adequate knowledge of HBV vaccination and infection. Less than half (43.4%) of HCWs admitted receiving three doses (i.e., full coverage) of the vaccine. Difficulty in accessing the vaccine (48, 23.4%) was identified as the major reason given for suboptimal vaccination.

Conclusion: The knowledge of HBV infection and vaccination is quite modest among HCWs in Calabar. Despite this observation, the vaccination status among HCWs is unsatisfactory. The implication of the findings of our study for health policy and practice is to prevent further occupational exposure of HCWs to HBV infection through mandatory vaccination.