Hepatitis B Viral (Hbv) Infection among Nursing Students in the Techiman North and South Districts

Abstract

Background: HBV infection remains one of the highly infectious diseases that can be contracted by HCW’S through needle pricks, sharp related injuries, and splash of blood or body fluids into the eyes or mucus membranes and other human activities like unprotected sexual intercourse. Nurses are known to be a high risk group for the infection but nursing students are even at the greatest risk of the infection due to their inexperience. Despite these facts above, the prevalence and the associated risk factors for HBV infection among nursing students has not been well elucidated within the Techiman municipality. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and the associated risk factors for HBV infection among the nursing students in the Techiman North and South Districts. A total of 286 2nd and 3rd year nursing students were recruited from Techiman Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College (THFNMTC) and Krobo Community Nursing Training College (KNTC/CHNTS). Proportion to size calculation was used to determine the number of students to be interviewed in each school. Of the 286 students, 115 (40.2%) of the students were recruited from THFNMTC and 171 (59.2%) from KNTC/CHNTS. Systematic random sampling was then used to recruit participants from each class into the study. Standard diagnostic test kit approved by FDA in Ghana was used to test for the presence of HbsAg to confirm HBV positive case. A chi-square test, bivariate and multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the data to calculate chi2 values, crude odds ratios, adjusted odds ratios, confidence intervals and p-values. Results: Of the 286 students, 80 (28.0%) were males and 206 (72.0%) were females with a mean age of 22.1 1.9 (95% CI=19.1-26.5). The minimum and maximum ages were 18 and 30 years respectively. Majority 278 (97.2%) of the students had no working experience before entering into the college. Of the 276 students who agreed to test for HBV infection status, 248 (89.9%) were HBV negatives and 28 (10.1%) (95% CI=7%-14%) being HBV positives. The prevalence of HBV infection 10.1% (95% CI=6% - 14%) was statistically different from 17% in the general population in Ghana. The needle prick increased the odds of HBV infection among the nursing students by 3.12 times compared to those without needle prick (AOR=3.12, 95% CI=1.52-11.45). Sharp-related injury also increased the odds HBV infections of students by 3.14 times compared to those without the sharp related injury (AOR=3.14, 95% CI=1.85 – 13.47). Sex of students, torn glove, splash of blood, unprotected sexual intercourse and vaccination were not significant. Vaccination before admission into the college was low 22(7.7%) (95% CI=5% – 11%). Majority of the students 165(63.7%) (95% CI= 59.6% - 69.4%) vaccinated on campus with 95(33.2%) (95% CI=30% - 42.4%) not vaccinated at the time of the study. Conclusion/recommendation: The prevalence of HBV infection was high (10.1%) and the needle prick and sharp related injury significantly increased the odds of HBV infection among the students. Adequate budget by the college authorities for testing and vaccination of students in the wards can help reduce the disease burden among the nursing students among the nursing students in Techiman municipality and Ghana as a whole.

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Thesis (MPH)=University of Ghana 2014

Keywords

Hepatitis B Viral (Hbv) Infection, Nursing Students, Techiman

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