KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PREVENTIVE BEHAVIOR OF PREGNANT WOMEN REGARDING HEPATITIS B AND C: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY FROM PESHAWAR

Abstract

Objectives:To assess the knowledge and attitudes of pregnant women regarding Hepatitis B and C in tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2025 at Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex. A structured questionnaire divided into three sections: knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behaviors related to HBV and HCV. It was administered to 399 pregnant women, and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi-square test was applied to check significant association between knowledge and attitude with the demographic of participants. P-value >0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:This study showed, 20% of the participants had good knowledge, 53% had moderate knowledge, and 27% had poor knowledge. Most had a positive attitude on HBV/HCV screening and prevention (78%). More specifically, during study visits participation behavioral assessment indicated that 45.1% were vaccinated against HBV, and 27.6% reported having ever been tested for HBV or HCV. Of the participants 72.7% made sure that sterile instruments would be used in the procedures but only 30.1% practiced safe sex.
Positive attitude also had statistically significant associations with age group (p=0.0013), education (p<.0001), and income (p=0.0019). Knowledge was also higher among individuals with higher education and income levels (p<0.0001). The proportion of those with poor knowledge among rural participants was much higher than that among urban residents, 63.6% vs. 13% (p<0.0001). Likewise, those with no formal education had the poorest knowledge (66%).

Conclusion:Although most pregnant women had adequate knowledge of HBV, awareness about HCV and its prevention was low. Education programs focusing on HBV and HCV transmission, prevention, and treatment should be prioritized in antenatal care.