Assessing Prevalence of Vaccination, Awareness, and Exposure to Risk Factors of Hepatitis B in Wa Municipality: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis B (HBV) in the Wa Municipality has increased over the past several years in Ghana, calling for urgent prevention and education interventions. This study evaluated awareness, vaccination coverage, and risk factors for HBV exposure in Wa Municipality, Ghana, to guide public health interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 adults aged 18 years and above residing in Wa Municipality. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic profile, knowledge about HBV, vaccination status, and history of exposure to major risk factors from January 1 to February 20, 2022. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used to compute descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: The prevalence of full vaccination against HBV among respondents was 42%. The overall exposure to hepatitis B risk factors was 14.2%. Awareness of HBV was generally high, with about 81% exhibiting adequate awareness of risk factors, 92.6% of preventive measures and 80.6% of signs and symptoms of Hepatitis B. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between awareness of Hepatitis B exposure to risk factors (r = -0.282, p < 0.01), risk factors, (r = -0.251, p < 0.01) and preventive measures (r = -0.222, p < 0.01) and exposure to risk factors, and this increased awareness was linked with reduced risk exposure. Conclusion: Although Hepatitis B awareness is high in Wa Municipality, HBV vaccination is suboptimal. Targeted interventions must be implemented to optimise vaccination coverage and decrease HBV transmission in the Municipality. Future research must examine barriers to Hepatitis B vaccination, migration impact on HBV transmission, and the impact of interventions in progress.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Florence Owusuaa Peprah, Alex Bapula, Kenneth Baga Sabogu, Moses Peprah, Ebenezer Akuoku, Jonathan Mawutor Gmanyami, Richmond Bediako Nsiah, Samuel Malogae Badiekang, Isaac Morrison, Margaret Morrison, Dacosta Awuah Aboagye, Khadijatu Adiss Yusif, Dominic Nyarko, Jerome Kaba Aperiba, Enoch Nyarko, Beverly Blankson, Isaac Ayirebi, Peter Kipo Leta
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