Knowledge, attitudes and practices of hepatitis B prevention and immunization of pregnant women and mothers in northern Vietnam

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Infection at birth due to mother-to-child (MTC) transmission is the most common cause of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Vietnam. This study was undertaken to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pregnant women and mothers in Vietnam concerning HBV prevention and immunization. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Quang Ninh and Hoa Binh provinces in 2017. A standardized questionnaire was administered to women when they received care at primary and tertiary maternal health clinics. Multivariate regression was used to identify predictors of HBV knowledge and practices. RESULTS: Among the 380 women surveyed, 50.3% were pregnant and 49.7% were postpartum. Despite 70.3% of participants reported having received information about HBV during their pregnancy, only 10.8% provided correct answers to all questions regarding HBV transmission routes and preventive measures. Around half of the participants incorrectly believed that HBV is transmitted through sneezing, contaminated water or sharing foods with chronic HBV patients. Although 86.1% of participants believed that HBV vaccination is necessary for infants, only 66.1% responded they were definitely willing to have their own child vaccinated within 24 hours. More than a third of participants expressed concern about having casual contacts or sharing foods with chronic HBV patients. In multivariate analysis, having received information about HBV during their pregnancy was significantly associated with better HBV knowledge score. Delivery at provincial level clinics was a strong predictor for perinatal HBV screening and hepatitis B birth dose administration. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the need to prioritize educating pregnant women and mothers in future public health campaigns in order to increase knowledge, reduce misperception, and improve hepatitis B vaccine birth dose coverage in Vietnam.