The Overlooked Risk Behaviors of Hepatitis B Virus among Medical and Nonmedical Undergraduate Students

S. Al-Rawi, Sawsan and H. Ibrahim, Ahmad (2023) The Overlooked Risk Behaviors of Hepatitis B Virus among Medical and Nonmedical Undergraduate Students. Acta Biomedica, 94 (2).

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Abstract

Hepatitis B is the liver tissue inflammation that caused by a viral infection. It causes chronic disease and can be fatal due to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Overlooking the risk behaviors can significantly contribute to the spread of HBV. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the risk-behaviors prevalence of HBV among undergraduate students and to examine its association among medical and nonmedical undergraduates. A questionnaire was randomly distributed to 200 students at Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq. Demographic and HBV risk-behavior data were collected and analyzed by Chi-square. Linear regression examined the relationship between medical, nonmedical, and HBV risk behaviors. The results revealed that the most common risk-behaviors for HBV among students were sharing nail cutters (79%), sharing razors (55.5%), body piercing (51%), and sharing toothbrushes (23%). However, those risk behaviors varied by gender. Unexpectedly, there was a significant association between some risk-behaviors for hepatitis B and medical students, particularly in pharmacy and nursing departments. Nonmedical students showed fewer risk behaviors than those in pharmacy and nursing departments. The behavioral risk incidence of pharmacy and nursing students was significant in sharing razors (p≤ 0.005) (p≤0.033) and sharing nail cutters (p≤0.000) (p≤0.000) respectively. This study concludes that the transmission of hepatitis B is most likely among undergraduate students due to the overlooked risk behaviors of HBV, and lack of knowledge or awareness. An awareness program is crucial particularly for those in the medical field who may have an impact on other people's lives. Additionally, vaccination against HBV infection is needed to control its transmission and reduce its spread.

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