Abstract

 Success in the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) depends to a large extent on the youths’ HBV knowledge and their risky behaviors. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and the risky behaviors towards HBV among youths and to determine the significant predictors affecting their knowledge.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was approved. Which was carried out in the Ndobo community on 100 youths aged 20-35 years. A structured questionnaire which was divided into 4 sections was the tool for data collection with the use of convenient sampling technique.

The results of the study revealed that the knowledge of hepatitis B in the Ndobo community was below average as many of the youth had not heard of the disease.

With respect to risky behaviors, very few number out of the 100 participants display with some risky behaviors.

Regarding the preventive measures that the youth of Ndobo take to prevent HBV many of the participants reported with no preventive measures towards the HBV. While the remaining few of the participants showed 1-4 preventive practices towards the HBV. There seem to be little or no variations in sex  with respect to hepatitis b prevention.

There seem to be insufficient knowledge on HB amongst the youth of the Ndobo community as many have just heard about the disease. Though a great number of the participants display no risky behaviors that predispose them to contract the hepatitis B virus, the preventive aspect among participants was very poor because, not even one amongst the 100 participant reported to have taken the hepatitis B vaccine.

In order to prevent these youths from contracting the the disease and to treat where necessary, health education should be conducted on the hepatitis b viral disease.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

Hepatitis B is the most common liver infection caused by a DNA-virus i.e. the hepatitis B. virus (WHO, 2012). CDC, (2015) also define hepatitis B as the inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through sexual intercourse with an infected person, infected tools, saliva, sweat from an infected person, mother to child during birth, and through blood transfusion from an infected person.

The disease manifest symptom such as fever, body weakness, vomiting, jaundice, dark urine .The disease is preventable with a vaccine called the hepatitis B.vaccine and it’s also treatable.

Amongst the sexually transmitted diseases in the world, hepatitis B is one of the neglected in prevention amongst youths.

Youths are most concern about preventing H.I.V, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis etc but are less concerned of the HB that attacks their most precious organ of the body which is the liver especially the Ndobo community whose largest population are youths.

Hepatitis B is a worldwide health care problem, especially in the developing countries .An estimated one third of the global population has been infected with the hepatitis  B. virus, Approximately 350 – 400 million people have lifelong chronic infection , and 0.5%  spontaneously senoconlurt annually from having hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) to have the hepatitis B surface antibody,(Nikolaws, 2017)

Viral hepatitis B. infection leads to an estimated 1.34 million death every year. Most of these deaths are cause by untreated chronic hepatitis infections resulting to the liver cirrhosis and liver cancer (WHO, 2018).

In addition to the main complications above, HB causes dramatic failure of organs such as cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal , genitourinary, neurological and brings along other diseases such as glumerulonephritis.

Hepatitis infection can be acute or chronic causing short term or long term infections respectively, which may or may not manifest diseases symptoms such as Yellow-eyes, dark urine, fever, malaise etc. (Brupinder and Neittleman,, 2017)

Hepatitis B is preventable with currently available safe and effective vaccine. .WHO recommends that all infants receive their first dose of vaccines  as soon as possible after birth preferably  within 24 hrs .

The  birth dose should be follow by at least 2 or 3 doses that offer a protection of at least 20 years or more, (WHO,2009). Hepatitis B has a world wide distribution and is a public health problem in every country causing chronic infection especially among immunosuppressant person.

In 2015 the global prevalence of HBV inflection in the general population was estimated at3.5% with about 257 million  people  living  with chronic  HBV inflection  with Africa having a high  percentage of 6.1% (WHO,2015).

The situation of hepatitis B infection in Cameroon is worrisome owing to the fact that it is increasing as national statistic reveal that the prevalence rate of hepatitis virus in the country  stands at 11.9% with 2 million  Cameroonian  exposed to HBV,( Brenda and Ngassa,2016).

While the government is making efforts to reduce the cost in treating this deadly and costly Viral diseases, the population should be conscious against the diseases.

A study conducted by Arun, (2014) with the objective to assess the awareness of hepatitis B in a set population of Cameroon revealed that most participant lack the knowledge on the mode  of transmission of the disease and its available vaccine for prevention.

According to the results of his study on a scale of 0 to 10 the average level of respondent was 5.28 of awareness for the existence of the disease only. Therefore this study aimes at assessing the present knowledge, level of awareness and the risky behavior of the Ndobo community towards hepatitis B virus.

As such the study will explore the effectiveness of past studies by assessing the youths risky behaviors, because Arun’s study was based only on the awareness of Hepatitis B in a set population in Cameroon.(Arun,2014)

This lack of knowledge about the modes of transmission and prevention of the disease, poses a great risk as these youths are involved in many risky behaviors such as unprotected sexual intercourse, exchange of drug needles, homosexuality which predispose them to contracting the diseases.

This calls for the need to initiate population sensitization on the awareness about hepatitis B, mode of transmission, treatment and prevention in Cameroon especially in a community likeNdobo that is full of sexually active youths,

However, the disease can be prevented with the use of recumbent HBsAg vaccines which is taken through immunization against the virus (W.H.O,2013)

1.2. Problem Statement

Hepatitis B is a public health disease under Surveillance as it’s a public health problem in Cameroon. The disease causes chronic illness and many Cameroonians die and others suffer from complications of the disease due to ignorance and lack of knowledge about the diseases.

Therefore to reduce the risk of contracting this disease especially amongst the sexually active youths of the community of Ndobo, it is  important to investigate their level of knowledge  about the disease, their risky behaviors towards the disease, its modes of transmission, treatment and the ways they prevent this deadly disease so as to intervene where necessary.

Thus it is for this reason that the study was carried out to increase their awareness about the disease and to make them conscious about it and reduce their risky behaviors that can contribute to them contacting the virus.

1.3. Research Questions

1. What knowledge do these youths have on hepatitis B in the Ndobo community?
2. What are the risky behaviors of youths towards Hepatitis B in the Ndobo community?
3. What are the preventive measures taken by the youths towards Hepatitis B in the Ndobo community?

1.4. General  Objective

The general objective was to assess the knowledge and risky behaviors of youths (20-2-35 years) towards hepatitis B in the Ndobo community

1.4.1. Specific objectives

1. To assess the knowledge of youths on Hepatitis B.
2. To assess the risky behaviors of youths towards Hepatitis B in the Ndobo community.
3. To identify the preventive measures taken by the youths towards Hepatitis B virus in the Ndobo community.

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