Assessment of hepatitis B knowledge among Moroccans

Objective

Little is known about the knowledge of hepatitis B infection in Morocco. This article describes the general population and students' knowledge of hepatitis B infection.

Material and methods

A questionnaire was designed between November and December 2022 to capture demographic data (gender, age, occupation, and city) and 12 HBV-related questions. The study population comprised 402 Moroccan individuals, of whom 100 were students. Students' knowledge was compared between public and private middle and high schools.

Results

Overall, 64.43% indicated prior awareness of hepatitis B, 33.58% were aware of the nature and the global prevalence of the disease, and 13.68% were knowledgeable about chronicity rate in Morocco. The contagious potential of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was appreciated by 35.1% of respondents while 51.5% were aware of its various transmission routes. The risk of vertical transmission and the availability of a hepatitis B vaccine were recognized by 57.7% and 56.1%, respectively. Vaccination status against hepatitis B was confirmed by 23% of respondents and 16.3% were aware of their HBV serostatus. While only 28% knew someone affected by hepatitis B, 69.4% acknowledged awareness of other types of hepatitis. Age and education type were factors associated with a good knowledge of the different aspects of HBV infection. The only gender-related difference reported concerned the existence of a hepatitis B vaccine knowledge.

Conclusion

We highlight contrasting levels of HBV knowledge in the Moroccan general population and students. Results demonstrate the need to implement prevention programs in order to overcome the gap between public and private school outcomes.