Abstract
Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is endemic
in Nigeria and constitutes a public health concern.
In-School adolescents in Ogun State indulge in
practices which have potentials for putting them at
risk of HBV infection. However, their cognitive
factors and preventive practices relating to Hepatitis
B infections among them are yet to be fully explored
systematically.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was
conducted among 300 students recruited through the
multi-stage sampling process. The respondents were
drawn from junior and senior arms in four public
secondary schools in Ogun State. A pre-tested self
administered questionnaire was used to facilitate data
collection. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze
the data on socio-demographic characteristics, as well
as data on Hepatitis B related knowledge and
prevention practices. Pearson correlation coefficient
was used to determine the relationship between
Hepatitis B knowledge and prevention practices.
Results: The participants’ mean knowledge score
was 16.4±4.4, and 79.3% (238) had fair knowledge
of HBV infection, while 94.7% (284) had in
appropriate HBV preventive practices. Only 6.7%
(20.1) had been vaccinated against HBV. No
significant relationship was found between knowledge
of HBV and adoption of prevention practices among
the participants (r=0.06; p=0.30).
Conclusion: The fair knowledge of the infection
implies that there are some gaps in the participants’
knowledge relating to Hepatitis B infection. An
appreciable proportion of the respondents were
vulnerable to HBV due to poor uptake of the HBV
vaccine and involvement in practices that can put
them at risk of the infection. Educational interventions
and advocacy are needed to address these concerns.
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