KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS ITS VACCINATION AMONG INTERNS IN TERTIARY CARE CENTRE, UDAIPUR

Background:Hepatitis B is the primary cause of illness and mortality worldwide. Interns are more likely to be exposed due to inexperience, inadequate training, and ignorance of protective measures. This studyevaluated interns knowledge about the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and their attitudes toward vaccination.

Methodology:A four-month cross-sectional study of 117 interns at the American Institute of Medical Science in Udaipur used a semi-structured, pretested questionnaire.The survey was divided into three sections: participants general information knowledge of HBV infection andtheir attitudes regarding their HBV vaccination status. The relevant statistical program, SPSS version 22 was utilized to analyze the data.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 25.82±1.79 years. The majority of participants knew about HBV transmission, risk, and prevention. Although only 44.67% were aware of the vaccination schedule, 88% of respondents recognized the Hepatitis B vaccines preventive benefits, and 90% had a positive view of interns risk. 84.67% believed the Hepatitis B vaccine was effective, and 86.67% thought it was safe. Knowledge of the HBV infection among interns was statistically substantially associated with gender, exposure to Hepatitis B patients, and Hepatitis B testing (P value<0.005).

Conclusion: Nearly every student in the current study had a positive attitude and good knowledge. The findings of this investigation showed that to stop the spread of this fatal infection, interns who are constantly at risk need to be made more aware of Hepatitis B.