The general public's knowledge, attitudes, and practices around hepatitis A and E prevention and control in Iraq

ABSTRACT: Both the hepatitis A and E viruses cause acute liver infections; however, only the hepatitis E virus has the potential to develop into an extrahepatic and chronic infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate participants' practices for adopting a healthy lifestyle to prevent contracting hepatitis A and E, as well as the general population's knowledge and attitude towards these diseases. This cross-section observation study comprised 832 participants conducted between January and June 2024, the study population was Wasit University students from different colleges (scientific and humanitarian), also from secondary school students, and hospital patients. The majority of participants were between the ages of 18 and 30, with 554 (66.6%) females and 278 (33.4%) males, according to the individual's sociodemographic characteristics. Of the participants, 743 (89.3%) were aware that the virus causes hepatitis A and E. Additionally, 511 (61.4%), 698 (83.9%), and 565 (67.9%) of them correctly identified the virus's route of transmission, how to avoid infection, and if a vaccine was available for hepatitis A respectively. The results show that 814 (97.8%), 811 (97.5%), and 630 (75.7%) practiced excellent food hygiene, hand washing after using the restroom, and avoiding contact with those who had hepatitis A or E, respectively. This study shows a high level of basic knowledge especially regarding the viral causes and hygiene practices also, this study reveals significant gaps in the translation of knowledge into preventive actions such as testing and vaccination