A cross-sectional study of hepatitis B vaccination coverage and occupational risk exposure among health science students in a Nigerian University

Abstract Introduction Despite the presence of a safe and effective vaccine for hepatitis B virus (HBV), health science students remain at significant risk for infection. This study assessed HBV vaccination coverage, awareness, and associated factors among health science students at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, Nigeria. Methodology A cross-sectional study targeting 427 health science students was conducted at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto between July 19 and September 10, 2025. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing hepatitis B awareness, vaccination status, barriers, motivators, and occupational risks. Analysis used IBM SPSS version 25, with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests ( p < 0.05), and binary logistic regression, while the Hosmer–Lemeshow test and Nagelkerke R² assessed model fit and explained variance. Results A total of 410 students participated (mean age 22.36 ± 2.94 years). Awareness of the hepatitis B vaccine was high (87.8%), but uptake was low (26.8%), only 12.2% were fully vaccinated, and 50.7% of unvaccinated students were willing to vaccinate. Key barriers included vaccine inaccessibility, cost, and limited information, while major motivators were prior exposure to infection (57.3%), institutional requirements (47.6%), and trust in public health institutions (43.9%). Occupational exposures were common, with poor post-exposure practices. Uptake was significantly associated with department and level of study. Logistic regression identified female gender (AOR = 2.15, p = 0.007), department, and higher level of study (AOR = 1.006, p = 0.001) as independent predictors. Conclusion Low hepatitis B vaccine uptake persists despite awareness; improving access, education, and mandatory policies is essential for high-risk health science students.