Evaluation of Hepatitis B Vaccine Awareness in Diabetic Patients Admitted to Diabetes Clinic

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the awareness of diabetic patients about the hepatitis B vaccine, hepatitis B vaccination rates, and the effect of our recommendations on vaccination status. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in 627 adult diabetic patients who were admitted to our diabetes outpatient clinic between October 2019 and December 2019. We prepared the hepatitis B vaccine awareness questionnaire, consisting of 14 items, and administered it to the patients through face-to-face interviews. Results: The study included 627 diabetic patients (59.8% female, mean age=58.9±9.5). Only 9.3% (n=58) of the patients were previously vaccinated against hepatitis B and 90.7% (n=569) were not. There was a significant difference between the education level and hepatitis B vaccination status of the patients (p<0.001). The most common reason with 94.7% (n=539) for not being vaccinated was the lack of information that diabetics should be vaccinated against hepatitis B. After the patients were informed, the hepatitis B vaccination rates increased from 9.3% to 68.1% at the end of the study. Conclusion: The hepatitis B vaccination rates were found to be quite low in diabetic patients, yet increased seriously after the patients were informed. This result revealed that informing patients and increasing their awareness can positively affect vaccination rates. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, hepatitis B vaccines, awareness