Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Toward Hepatitis B Virus Among Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia Patients in Jordan.

BACKGROUND

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) studies provide essential insight into public awareness, perceptions, and behaviors toward health issues. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health problem in Jordan. Transfusion-dependent patients are at higher risk of infection due to frequent exposure to blood products. This study aimed to assess KAP toward HBV among transfusion-dependent patients in Jordan.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 407 transfusion-dependent patients attending hematology clinics in governmental hospitals in Jordan. A validated questionnaire assessed socio-demographic data and KAP regarding HBV. Knowledge, attitude, and practice were each scored out of their respective items; participants scoring ≥ 75% correct were classified as having good knowledge, positive attitude, or safe practices, respectively. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression to determine associations, with p-values < 0.05 considered significant.

RESULTS

Of the 407 participants, 114 (28%) had good knowledge, 170 (41.8%) had positive attitudes, and 156 (38.3%) demonstrated safe practices toward HBV. Key predictors of good knowledge included older age (AOR 3.81, 95% CI 2.09-6.94) and higher education (AOR 3.05, 95% CI 1.80-5.16). Safe practice was significantly associated with family history of HBV infection. Significant associations were found between knowledge scores and educational level, employment status, and history of HBV vaccination (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

HBV knowledge, attitudes, and practices among transfusion-dependent patients in Jordan were suboptimal. These findings highlight the need for targeted health education programs and HBV vaccination campaigns for this high-risk group.