Publication:

Knowledge and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B Disease Among Women Attending Antenatal Care at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Arua, Uganda

Background Hepatitis B is a highly infectious disease with a prevalence of 4.3% among people aged 15–64 years, with a prevalence of 5.6% in men compared to 3.1% in women in Uganda. Mother-to-child transmission accounts for nearly 50% of new cases per year, and infants who acquire hepatitis B disease before 5 years have a 90% chance of progressing to chronic hepatitis B infection. Objective The study assessed the knowledge and risk factors of hepatitis B disease among women attending antenatal care (ANC) at Arua Regional Referral Hospital (ARRH), Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out at ANC at ARRH. Convenience sampling was used, and a sample size of 384 was calculated. Each participant was evaluated using a structured questionnaire and screened for HBsAg using commercial rapid test kits. Assessment of knowledge was performed using a hepatitis B basic knowledge summary score. Data analysis was carried out using MICROSOFT EXCEL-2013 and STATA version 14 packages. Results Poor knowledge levels of hepatitis B disease stood at 17.9%, while 82.1% of the pregnant women had adequate knowledge. A prevalence of 2.05% was obtained from the participants in the study. None of the assessed risk factors was significantly associated with HBsAg positivity.