Hepatitis B infection and vaccination in southern Vietnam: Knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to pay among the general population

Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of the general population regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, their association with sociodemographic factors, and the community’s willingness to pay for hepatitis B vaccination. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 1 098 adults who were recruited via nonprobability convenience sampling. Descriptive analysis was conducted to calculate the frequencies and percentages of the categorical variables. A Chi-square test was carried out to explore the association between the independent and categorical dependent variables. Results: A total of 926 complete questionnaires were returned and included in the analysis. Among the participants, 524 (56.6%) exhibited good knowledge about HBV infection and vaccination, while 651 (70.3%) showed positive attitudes toward the issues of interest. The factors associated with knowledge and attitudes were household incomes, health insurance, family history of HBV infection, vaccination intention, reasons for nonvaccination, sources of HBV information, and awareness of immunization programs and vaccination sites. Conclusions: Although most participants had limited knowledge of HBV symptoms and transmission, their attitudes toward vaccination remained positive. Targeted national strategies and intervention initiatives are needed since public awareness and attitudes toward the condition greatly impact intervention success.