Prevention of hepatitis B; knowledge and practice among first year MBBS students

To assess the knowledge and practice of first year MBBS students, for the prevention of Hepatitis B. Descriptive study. The study was conducted at Lahore Medical and Dental College. Lahore. The data was collected in two weeks in December, 2006. A total of 50 students were recruited using a non probability random sampling technique, through the lottery method. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered to collect information about the knowledge and practice of students about the prevention of hepatitis B. Data was presented in the form of simple tables and graphs. Out of 50 students, majority [96%] responded that it was a disease of liver. Regarding knowledge about the communicability of Hepatitis B, 78% said it was communicable, 19% assumed that it was water borne. Other responses included spread via blood transfusion [28%], through use of injection [21%], close physical contact [8%] and un-hygienic conditions [18%]. For prevention of Hepatitis B, the more common responses were, provision of clean water [24%], improvement in hygiene [27%], restriction to single sex partner [6%], avoidance of sharing syringes and needles [19%], screening blood before transfusion [9%] and vaccination [15%]. The high risk group was identified as the poor people living in unhygienic conditions [34%], surgeons [32%], barbers [12%], Intravenous drug users [8%], recipient of blood transfusion [6%] and uneducated people [6%]. Only 1 respondent [2%] said that sex workers could be at risk of getting this disease. When inquired about their vaccination status, 66% of students admitted to have been vaccinated against Hepatitis B, while 34% of have not been vaccinated. The present study concludes that there is lack of awareness among the medical students entering into the profession about the hazards of Hepatitis B, its routes of spread and its modes of prevention. Similarly, all the students were not vaccinated against Hepatitis B, which made the m very vulnerable to this disease