Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding Hepatitis B vaccination among students of a government medical college in Mumbai

Hepatitis B, an infection commonly affecting the liver, is brought on by the Hepatitis B virus. Since there is currently no treatment for Hepatitis B viral infection, the only effective and safe methods of preventing the illness are vaccination against hepatitis B, careful handling of contaminated objects, and sterilizing medical equipment. Due to their increased risk of exposure later in their careers, undergraduate students and interns must be aware of and vaccinated against Hepatitis B virus. The objective of this study is to assess students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Hepatitis B virus in addition to its vaccination coverage and related factors. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in undergraduate and nursing students at a Government Medical College in Mumbai in conjunction with a Hepatitis B Vaccination drive. Students who attended the vaccination drive and willing to participate in the study were included. Basic details of participants were collected after obtaining informed consent. Data was collected using a pre-validated questionnaire with good internal consistency (Cronback’s α = 0.698) in the form a Google Form. The questionnaire had 17 knowledge items, 5 attitude items and 4 practice items. The responses were recorded as per a 5-point Likert scale. Then, data was entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS 22.0. Score means were taken as cut off and those scoring above the mean were considered as having good scores and those falling below mean were considered to have inadequate scores. In this study, 511 students participated who had a mean age of 21.11 ± 1.519 years. Out of these participants 397 (77.7%) were not previously vaccinated against Hepatitis B, the major reason being no vaccination program offered (34.1%). The data revealed that 58.91% of students had good overall Knowledge, Attitude and Practices scores and 41.09% had inadequate Knowledge, Attitude and Practices scores. The association of each baseline characteristic as per the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices scores were calculated using the chi-square test, showing significant association among the gender, age and course variables (p < 0.05). On applying binomial logistic regression, male gender, age 19 years and below and MBBS students had higher odds of getting Good Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Score (p < 0.05). Spearman’s rank correlation test showed significant correlation between Knowledge and Attitude (r = 0.631, p < 0.05); Attitude and Practices (r = 0.706, p < 0.05); and Practices and Knowledge (r = 0.597, p < 0.05). The study assessed Knowledge, Attitude and Practices regarding Hepatitis B among medical and nursing students in a government medical college in Mumbai, revealing that most were unaware of their vaccination status or had not been vaccinated, mainly due to a lack of programs offered. Over half of the participants had good Knowledge, Attitude and Practices scores, with significant associations with age, gender, and course. It emphasized the need for institutional support, funding, and research to improve vaccination rates. While the study has strengths, such as its relevance and potential impact, limitations include reliance on self-reported data, a cross-sectional design, and limited generalizability. Further research should explore deeper barriers to vaccination.