Knowledge, attitudes, and practices play crucial roles in the prevention of hepatitis B and C viruses. Understanding the impact of KAP can help in designing effective public health interventions aimed at reducing the transmission of these viruses [18]. In the present study, 58 participants (15.1%) were male, whereas the majority (84.9%) was female. The ages of the participants ranged from 18 to 70 years, with an average age of 26.1 years (± 5.5). The predominance of female participants can largely be attributed to the inclusion of wards related to labor and delivery, immunization, and antenatal care, in which only female participants are visited. This demographic distribution also reflects a tendency toward younger individuals, particularly those in their 20s, as reproductive age typically begins at approximately 15 years.
When we compared our findings on knowledge with those from other studies, we found similarities with a study conducted in Saudi Arabia, which reported that 50.5% of participants had good knowledge [19]. However, our results indicate a greater level of knowledge than similar studies in Cameroon, where only 22.1% demonstrated good knowledge; among sub-Saharan immigrants, 15%; in Ethiopia, 25%; in Pakistan, 23.6%; and in Malaysia, 38.8% exhibited good knowledge [13, 16, 20,21,22]. The observed differences in knowledge levels can indeed be attributed to variations in educational attainment among participants. In our study, the illiteracy rate was 26%, which is significantly lower than the rates reported in Cameroon (48.4%) and among sub-Saharan African immigrants (75.4%) [16, 21]. This disparity suggests that higher educational levels may contribute to better health knowledge [16, 21]. Furthermore, our analysis identified participants’ educational level and history of hospital admission as statistically significant factors associated with knowledge. This aligns with findings from studies conducted in Cameroon, Pakistan, and sub-Saharan Africa [13, 16, 21], which also indicate that education plays a crucial role in enhancing health knowledge [23]. A history of hospital admissions can enhance knowledge about hepatitis B and C through increased exposure to healthcare education, personal experiences, and ongoing medical care. Research also indicates that individuals with higher educational attainment tend to have a better understanding of the hepatitis B and C viruses [24].
The attitudes of the participants indicated that fewer than half, specifically 180 (47%), with a 95% confidence interval of 41.8–52, had a positive attitude toward the hepatitis B and C viruses. This percentage is lower than the findings reported in Cameron (54.6%) and Gambia (70%). However, our results demonstrate a more favorable attitude than those of other studies conducted in Ghana, where only 33% of the respondents reported good attitudes, and in Pakistan, where 21.8% of the respondents reported good attitudes. This discrepancy can be attributed to the larger number of participants; 56.4% of the participants in Ghana [25] were illiterate, but in our study, 26% were illiterate. In this study, both participants’ level of education and residency were statistically associated with their attitudes. This finding aligns with other research conducted among sub-Saharan immigrants, as well as in Jordan and Ghana, where education has been shown to be statistically linked to attitudes [21, 25, 26]. In contrast, studies in Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Cameroon demonstrated that participants’ residency was a statistically significant factor associated with their attitudes [13, 16, 22]. The residency of individuals can shape their attitudes toward hepatitis B and C through factors such as access to healthcare, cultural influences, educational initiatives, and personal experiences. These elements collectively contribute to how communities perceive and respond to the challenges posed by these viral infections [16].
In our study, the levels of prevention practices for HBV and HCV were categorized as follows: 173 participants (45.2%) demonstrated good practices, with a 95% confidence interval of 40–50.4, whereas 210 participants (54.8%) exhibited poor practices, with a 95% confidence interval of 49.6–60. Notably, these results indicate that the prevention practice levels among our participants were higher than those reported in similar studies, such as in Cameroon (24.3%), sub-Saharan immigrants (33.4%), Pakistan (33.1%), and Ethiopia, where 37.6% of participants had good prevention practices [13, 16, 21, 22]. This discrepancy may be attributed to differences in the educational levels of the participants. In our study, 26% of the participants were illiterate, whereas in Cameroon, 48.4% [16] of the participants had no education, and this figure rose to 75.4% among sub-Saharan immigrants [21]. Furthermore, in our research, the only variable that showed a statistically significant association with hepatitis B and C virus prevention practices was the participants’ attitudes toward these infections. This finding aligns with other studies conducted in Cameroon and among sub-Saharan immigrants, where participants’ attitudes were also statistically linked to their prevention practices [16, 21]. The attitudes of study participants toward hepatitis B and C viruses significantly affect their prevention practices, as supported by research conducted in Ethiopia and Pakistan [13, 22]. Positive attitudes can foster greater involvement in preventive measures, whereas negative perceptions may hinder effective prevention efforts [27].
