Hamidreza Karimi-Sari1, Mohammad Ehsan Bayatpoor1, Maryam Aftabi Khotbesara2, Motahare Sadat Ebrahimi3, Zahra Sattari4, Paria Sattari5, Narges Saberi Shakib6, Hanie Taheri5, Sina Abdolrahim Poor Heravi5, Mahsa Dinizadeh5, Pedram Vahed7, Kiyana Shirsavar8, Hediye Hosseini8, Sara Rashvand9, Dorsa Jalaei9, Mahdi Azarafraz10, Mohebullah Naderi10, Mahtab Pourzakaria11, Mohammad Firoozbakht12, Mohammad Hossein Khosravi1, Seyed Moayed Alavian13. 1. Student Research Committee, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Middle East Liver Disease Center, Tehran, Iran. 2. Student Research Committee, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. 3. Student Research Committee, Shaded University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 4. Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. 5. Student's Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 6. Student Research Committee, Artesh University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 7. Student Research Committee, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran. 8. Student Research Committee, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 9. Student Research Committee, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran. 10. Young Researchers Elite Club, Islamic Azad University Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran. 11. Student Research Committee, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. 12. Student Research Committee, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful, Iran. 13. Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Middle East Liver Disease Center, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: Alavian@thc.ir.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization seeks to achieve the goal of viral hepatitis elimination by 2030 and lack of general knowledge about viral hepatitis seems to be a barrier to reaching this goal. This study was designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among Iranian health sciences students in 12 Iranian medical sciences universities using a national survey. METHODS: This survey was conducted during the second Hepatitis Awareness Campaign, which was held during the Iranian National Hepatitis Week (October 22-28, 2016). Students who visited our booths and were willing to participate in our survey were selected using convenience sampling and their HBV- and HCV-related KAP were evaluated. RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred fifty-six health sciences students with mean age of 21.24 years participated in our survey. The mean KAP scores were 7.35 (out of 10), 4.88 (possible score, -20 to +20), and 5.67 (out of 9). Students with experience of accidental exposures to blood (21.6%) had better KAP scores compared with the students without such experiences. The mean KAP scores were associated with subjects' year of education, field of study, university, and province (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that HBV- and HCV-related KAP in a sample of Iranian health sciences students was not satisfying. The results also demonstrated priority of needing intervention regarding KAP in some subject areas, lower years of education, and some universities compared with others.
BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization seeks to achieve the goal of viral hepatitis elimination by 2030 and lack of general knowledge about viral hepatitis seems to be a barrier to reaching this goal. This study was designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among Iranian health sciences students in 12 Iranian medical sciences universities using a national survey. METHODS: This survey was conducted during the second Hepatitis Awareness Campaign, which was held during the Iranian National Hepatitis Week (October 22-28, 2016). Students who visited our booths and were willing to participate in our survey were selected using convenience sampling and their HBV- and HCV-related KAP were evaluated. RESULTS: Two thousand one hundred fifty-six health sciences students with mean age of 21.24 years participated in our survey. The mean KAP scores were 7.35 (out of 10), 4.88 (possible score, -20 to +20), and 5.67 (out of 9). Students with experience of accidental exposures to blood (21.6%) had better KAP scores compared with the students without such experiences. The mean KAP scores were associated with subjects' year of education, field of study, university, and province (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that HBV- and HCV-related KAP in a sample of Iranian health sciences students was not satisfying. The results also demonstrated priority of needing intervention regarding KAP in some subject areas, lower years of education, and some universities compared with others.
Authors: Bashair S Alotaibi; Maryam A Althobaiti; Amal Y Hazazi; Sarah Y Hazazi; Rawan A Nassir; Mahmoud S Alhaddad; Sayed F Abdelwahab Journal: Inquiry Date: 2021 Jan-Dec Impact factor: 1.730