KIẾN THỨC VÀ THÁI ĐỘ VỀ VIÊM GAN SIÊU VI B VÀ VẮC XIN CỦA SINH VIÊN NGÀNH KỸ THUẬT XÉT NGHIỆM Y HỌC TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC Y DƯỢC CẦN THƠ

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B is a disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), which can pose a life-threatening risk to infected individuals and remains a major global public health concern. Improving knowledge and attitudes toward HBV prevention among students plays an important role in disease control, especially for those in health-related fields who may be at higher risk of exposure during clinical training and practice. Objectives: The study aimed to determine the proportion of Medical Laboratory Technology students at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy possessing correct knowledge of Hepatitis B and its vaccine, and a correct attitude towards prevention; and to identify factors associated with their knowledge and attitude. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 257 full-time students majoring in Medical Laboratory Technology from the first to the fourth year at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 13 items assessing knowledge about hepatitis B infection, 5 items on vaccine-related knowledge, and 8 items evaluating attitudes toward disease prevention. The data were analyzed using Stata version 17.0 and SPSS version 26.0. Results: The proportion of students with correct knowledge about hepatitis B was 50.58%, and regarding the hepatitis B vaccine was 64.98%. The percentage of students with a positive attitude toward prevention was remarkably high at 99.61%. Knowledge about the disease was not significantly associated with age, gender, academic year, or religion (p>0.05). In contrast, knowledge about the hepatitis B vaccine showed significant associations with age, gender, and academic year (p<0.05). Attitudes toward HBV prevention were not associated with any demographic factors (p>0.05). Conclusion: Students demonstrated limited knowledge about hepatitis B and its vaccine, despite showing highly positive attitudes toward prevention. These findings highlight the necessity to strengthen educational programs, integrating theoretical learning with practical training to enhance awareness and promote effective preventive behaviors against HBV infection among medical laboratory students.