J M Wiecha1. 1. Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA. john.wiecha@bmc.org
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of knowledge about hepatitis B of Vietnamese adolescents, a group at high risk for hepatitis B, and compare it to the knowledge of adolescents of other races and ethnicities. METHODS: A sample of 2816 adolescents was surveyed in 1993 in 2 middle schools and 2 high schools in Worcester, Massachusetts, using a self-administered multilingual questionnaire. RESULTS: Knowledge of hepatitis B was low overall. Vietnamese respondents were more likely than were other students to know that hepatitis B affects the liver (35.6% vs 22.6%). However, they were much less likely than were other students to correctly identify sex with an infected person as a risk factor for infection (13.7% vs 32. 8%). Independent predictors of this knowledge were: white race; older age; attending high school versus middle school; having been taught about hepatitis B in school; knowing the definition of hepatitis B; reporting better grades; having a family member with hepatitis B; and being more highly acculturated. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent knowledge about risk of infection was low in this study. Attention should be directed at providing health education on hepatitis B to adolescents, particularly to Vietnamese. Health care providers, community health educators, and others engaged in the effort to control and eradicate hepatitis B should be sensitive to the unique educational and cultural needs of high-risk southeast Asian adolescent populations.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of knowledge about hepatitis B of Vietnamese adolescents, a group at high risk for hepatitis B, and compare it to the knowledge of adolescents of other races and ethnicities. METHODS: A sample of 2816 adolescents was surveyed in 1993 in 2 middle schools and 2 high schools in Worcester, Massachusetts, using a self-administered multilingual questionnaire. RESULTS: Knowledge of hepatitis B was low overall. Vietnamese respondents were more likely than were other students to know that hepatitis B affects the liver (35.6% vs 22.6%). However, they were much less likely than were other students to correctly identify sex with an infected person as a risk factor for infection (13.7% vs 32. 8%). Independent predictors of this knowledge were: white race; older age; attending high school versus middle school; having been taught about hepatitis B in school; knowing the definition of hepatitis B; reporting better grades; having a family member with hepatitis B; and being more highly acculturated. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent knowledge about risk of infection was low in this study. Attention should be directed at providing health education on hepatitis B to adolescents, particularly to Vietnamese. Health care providers, community health educators, and others engaged in the effort to control and eradicate hepatitis B should be sensitive to the unique educational and cultural needs of high-risk southeast Asian adolescent populations.
Authors: Scott P Grytdal; Youlian Liao; Roxana Chen; Cheza C Garvin; Dorcas Grigg-Saito; Marjorie Kagawa-Singer; Sidney Liang; Stephen J McPhee; Tung T Nguyen; Jacqueline H Tran; Kathleen M Gallagher Journal: J Community Health Date: 2009-06
Authors: Paula M Frew; Brooke Alhanti; Linda Vo-Green; Siyu Zhang; Chang Liu; Tranh Nguyen; Jay Schamel; Diane S Saint-Victor; Minh Ly Nguyen Journal: Yale J Biol Med Date: 2014-12-12
Authors: John A Owiti; Trisha Greenhalgh; Lorna Sweeney; Graham R Foster; Kamaldeep S Bhui Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2015-02-15 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Alan Hoi Lun Yau; Jo-Ann Ford; Peter Wing Cheung Kwan; Jessica Chan; Queenie Choo; Tim K Lee; Willie Kwong; Alan Huang; Eric Yoshida Journal: Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol Date: 2016-03-29