Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Toward Hepatitis B Virus Among Transfusion‐Dependent Thalassemia Patients in Jordan

ABSTRACT Background Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) studies provide essential insight into public awareness, perceptions, and behaviors toward health issues. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health problem in Jordan. Transfusion‐dependent patients are at higher risk of infection due to frequent exposure to blood products. This study aimed to assess KAP toward HBV among transfusion‐dependent patients in Jordan. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 407 transfusion‐dependent patients attending hematology clinics in governmental hospitals in Jordan. A validated questionnaire assessed socio‐demographic data and KAP regarding HBV. Knowledge, attitude, and practice were each scored out of their respective items; participants scoring ≥ 75% correct were classified as having good knowledge, positive attitude, or safe practices, respectively. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi‐square tests, and logistic regression to determine associations, with p ‐values < 0.05 considered significant. Results Of the 407 participants, 114 (28%) had good knowledge, 170 (41.8%) had positive attitudes, and 156 (38.3%) demonstrated safe practices toward HBV. Key predictors of good knowledge included older age (AOR 3.81, 95% CI 2.09–6.94) and higher education (AOR 3.05, 95% CI 1.80–5.16). Safe practice was significantly associated with family history of HBV infection. Significant associations were found between knowledge scores and educational level, employment status, and history of HBV vaccination ( p < 0.05). Conclusion HBV knowledge, attitudes, and practices among transfusion‐dependent patients in Jordan were suboptimal. These findings highlight the need for targeted health education programs and HBV vaccination campaigns for this high‐risk group.