AWARENESS ABOUT HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION (HBV) AMONG STUDENTS OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH COLLEGES HAIL UNIVERSITY, HAIL, KSA

Background: Saudi sub-populations, including students in health colleges, and health care workers, pregnant women, remain at risk from infection with Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Medical students are a group of health care workers that are at high risk to get and spread HBV because their activities involve contact with patients or blood or other body fluids in healthcare, laboratories or public-safety settings. Objectives: This study aims to make screening study about awareness of HBV among Students of Medical and Health Colleges in Hail University, Hail, KSA. Methods: About 281 out of 400 students from Medical and Health Colleges were responding to the questionnaire (81.5% females and 18.5% males). Results: About 73% of Saudi population needs educational support to know information about HBV disease, as only 19.9% of students knew the time for the HBV virus to be alive before go to infect any person (7 days). Only 37.7% of students knew that hepatitis B vaccination protect against infection and 46.3% of students were vaccinated against HBV. About 53.7% of students knew that sharing personal tools, saliva, shaking hands of patients were not safe practices and caused infection. While 74.7% of the students knew that HBV vaccination safe and effective and 80.1% knew the methods of disease transmission. It is highly recommended that HBV vaccine showed be given to all non vaccinated students with no cost to encourage them to take the HBV vaccine. HBV disease should be included in the educational curriculum as tutorials and assignments to effectively limit the hazardous effects of this disease and protect them from HBV infection. Key Words: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Complications, Transmission, Medical and Health College students, Hail University, Saudi Arabia.