Factors Affecting Completion of Hepatitis B Vaccination Among Healthcare Workers at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and can cause both an acute and chronic infection (World Health Organization, 2016). It is a major global health problem. It can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma). Methodology The research was conducted among healthcare professionals at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital using an observational cross-sectional study methodology. Taro Yamane's method for calculating sample size was employed in obtaining a sample size of 400 but 420 questionnaires were disseminated in total. Pretesting of the questionnaire was done prior to actual data collection in a small sample of 20 people. Using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, the data was verified, coded, and recorded. STATA version 17 was then used to clean and evaluate the data. Results Of 400 participants interviewed, only 176 (44%) had adequate knowledge about Hepatitis B. Overall, majority of the HCWs, 285 (78.1%) had completed their hepatitis B vaccination whilst a few of them 10 (2.7%) had received only one dose of the vaccine. Among those who were fully vaccinated, only 68 (18.2%) had received their booster doses. Reasons given for non-completion of vaccination were time constraints, financial constraints, forgetfulness of appointment dates and fear of the injection. Factors which were identified to be significantly associated with the completion of hepatitis B vaccination were age bracket of 25- 29 years which obtained a p-value of 0.005 [AOR: 3.50 (CI: 1.45-8.42)], higher educational level which in this study was postgraduate with a p-value of 0.002 [AOR: 14.78 (CI: 2.73-80.18)] and lastly category of HCWs whereby nurses had the highest+++ completion rate of hepatitis B vaccination and were used as a reference point for comparison. Conclusion Completion rate of hepatitis B vaccination among HCWs is quite good at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. This success is attributable to the efforts made by the Public Health Unit of the hospital by way of organizing pre-employment vaccination for newly employed staff as well as a mass hepatitis B screening and vaccination exercise for all staff of the hospital. If these interventions are maintained, the safety of current and future HCWs who would serve in the facility will be ensured.