Survey of Asian patients with hepatitis B infection: limited knowledge of transmission and screening of family members

Public Knowledge, Awareness, and Vaccination Rates for Hepatitis B in India: A Cross-Sectional Survey

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a considerable public health concern in India, characterized by a significant number of chronically infected individuals. India falls into the category of an intermediate HBV endemic country, with approximately 40 million people chronically infected. Public awareness and knowledge about HBV are crucial for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and vaccination status of the general public regarding hepatitis B in India.

METHODS

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with 3,545 participants, excluding healthcare workers and individuals below 18 years old. The survey evaluated knowledge in four domains: cause and spread of the disease (Domain A), organ affected and consequences (Domain B), treatment (Domain C), and vaccination (Domain D). The survey used a scoring scale from -20 to +22 points. Vaccination status was also assessed.

RESULTS

The mean knowledge score of the respondents was 6.89 (±5.88). Only 25% of the respondents demonstrated good knowledge (score ≥12), while 31% had fair knowledge (score 6-11), 40% had poor knowledge (score 0-5), and 4% had incorrect knowledge (score <0). Males, individuals aged 18-60 years, respondents with higher education levels, and urban residents had significantly higher mean knowledge scores (p < 0.01). In the domain-specific analysis, 47% of the respondents had good knowledge in Domain B, while 43% of the respondents had good knowledge in Domains C and D. Only 17% of the respondents had good knowledge in Domain A. Overall, 22.7% of the respondents had received all three doses of the HBV vaccine, with higher vaccination rates among males, individuals aged 18-60 years, those with higher education levels, and urban residents.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed limited knowledge about HBV among the general public in India. Vaccination rates were also suboptimal. Public health interventions, including educational campaigns and targeted vaccination programs, are needed to improve awareness and vaccination coverage, ultimately reducing the burden of HBV infection.

Knowledge and beliefs about hepatitis B virus infection and associated factors among Chinese migrants in Australia: The result of a quantitative study

Chinese immigrants to Australia have an increased prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection compared to the general population. Despite this, engagement with HBV screening and healthcare for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) among immigrants of Chinese background is relatively low. This study investigated knowledge about HBV among this high-risk community and explored sociodemographic factors that might influence this knowledge. During February to September 2019, first generation Chinese immigrants from mainland China and their immediate descents residing in Sydney and Melbourne were recruited via convenience and snowball sampling and completed a survey in either English or Chinese. Survey items included HBV knowledge, attitudes towards people living with CHB and demographic information. Three hundred and ninety-six participants completed the survey. The median HBV knowledge score was 53% correct, indicating that knowledge about HBV was low to middle range among participants. While participants had the most knowledge in the domain of perceptions and understandings of HBV, this was still low. Participants also had limited knowledge about HBV prevention, transmission and treatment. Those with higher English proficiency, post-secondary education, lower levels of HBV-related stigma and those who had contact with people living with CHB appeared to have greater HBV knowledge. This study showed that HBV knowledge among Chinese people originally from mainland China living in Australia is limited and even deficient in some key areas. Additionally, the relationships between HBV knowledge and particular sociodemographic variables, knowing someone living with HBV and stigma associated with HBV provides key information to assist in the development of targeted health promotion to increase HBV knowledge and change stigmatising attitudes towards HBV among the Chinese community in Australia.

Improving access to health care for chronic hepatitis B among migrant Chinese populations: A systematic mixed methods review of barriers and enablers

Migrant Chinese populations in Western countries have a high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B but often experience poor access to health care and late diagnosis. This systematic review aimed to identify obstacles and supports to timely and appropriate health service use among these populations. Systematic searches resulted in 48 relevant studies published between 1996 and 2015. Data extraction and synthesis were informed by models of healthcare access that highlight the interplay of patient, provider and health system factors. There was strong consistent evidence of low levels of knowledge among patients and community members; but interventions that were primarily focused on increasing knowledge had only modest positive effects on testing and/or vaccination. There was strong consistent evidence that Chinese migrants tend to misunderstand the need for health care for hepatitis B and have low satisfaction with services. Stigma was consistently associated with hepatitis B, and there was weak but consistent evidence of stigma acting as a barrier to care. However, available evidence on the effects of providing culturally appropriate services for hepatitis B on increasing uptake is limited. There was strong consistent evidence that health professionals miss opportunities for testing and vaccination. Practitioner education interventions may be important, but evidence of effectiveness is limited. A simple prompt in patient records for primary care physicians improved the uptake of testing, and a dedicated service increased targeted vaccination coverage for newborns. Further development and more rigorous evaluation of more holistic approaches that address patient, provider and system obstacles are needed.