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Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major global public health concern, causing chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, limited data exist on the knowledge and practices regarding HBV prevention among undergraduate nursing students in District Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study assessed the knowledge and practices regarding Hepatitis B virus infection prevention and vaccination status among 299 undergraduate nursing students selected through stratified random sampling from nursing colleges in District Swabi. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire adapted from validated KAP frameworks and analyzed using SPSS with descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The mean age of respondents was 22.57 years (SD = 1.472), with ages ranging from 20 to 26 years. The majority were male (65%) and from the 6th semester (43.5%). Regarding knowledge, 42.5% had moderate knowledge, 32.4% had good knowledge, and 25.1% had poor knowledge. For practices, 57.2% demonstrated good practice while 42.8% exhibited poor practice. Item-wise analysis showed knowledge scores ranged from 60.2% to 84.9% while practice scores ranged from 58.5% to 86.6%. Vaccination coverage was suboptimal, consistent with previous Pakistani studies. No statistically significant association was found between demographic variables and knowledge or practice levels. While the majority of nursing students had moderate to good knowledge and practices regarding Hepatitis B prevention, significant gaps remain. One-quarter had poor knowledge, over 40% exhibited poor practice, and vaccination coverage was inadequate. There is a notable knowledge-practice gap. Comprehensive educational interventions, mandatory vaccination policies, and improved access to vaccines and infection control supplies are urgently needed to protect nursing students and enhance patient safety.