Hepatitis B prevention and control : knowledge, attitudes and vaccination status of registered nurses at Nyangabgwe hospital in Francistown, Botswana

Abstract

The study investigated knowledge, attitudes and vaccination status of registered nurses regarding prevention and control of hepatitis B (HB). An analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted, and data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. 53.0% of the respondents (n=219) had good knowledge and 96.3% had positive attitudes regarding HB prevention and control. 86.8% had received at least 1 dose of the HB vaccine, but only 54.7% had received the 3 doses for complete vaccination. A positive attitude score was a significant predictor of HB vaccination uptake (OR=1.424, p=0.003). Female registered nurses were 3.479 times (95% CI: 1.495-8.098; p=0.004) more likely to be vaccinated than male registered nurses. Registered nurses are aware that hepatitis B virus infection can be prevented by a safe and effective vaccine, however, there is need to improve awareness and encourage complete HB vaccination uptake among all registered nurses to ensure their protection against the risk of HBV infection.