Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Dental Students and Interns in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a worldwide healthcare problem. Dental health care professionals are at a high risk of infection by HBV. The present study investigated the knowledge, attitude and practice of HBV infection among Saudi dental students and Interns in Saudi Arabia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of questions on students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HBV was used. Data of 420 participants were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Studies) version 22.0. RESULTS: The response rate was 84%. Overall, the participants showed fair level of knowledge about HBV, with significant differences between final year students and the interns. Also, the subjects showed negative attitude toward HBV patients. The vast majority reported always wearing gloves (97.9%), gowns (92.1%), face masks (89.2%), disposable caps (87.1%) and protective eye wear (80.9%). The majority of participants (91.4%) had been vaccinated against HBV. However, only 41% completed the recommended 3 doses of the vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: These unsatisfactory findings emphasize the necessity of continued education about HBV in order to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dental students and Interns regarding HBV. Key words:HBV, Knowledge, Practice, Dental students, Interns.