Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Hepatitis B virus(HBV) is the cause of hepatitis and hepatic cancer. Each year more than 800 thousands die from HBV infection and its complication in the world. More than 350 million people are the career of this virus in the world and careers are the main source of this disease in community. Approximately 3% of Iranians are virus career, but in USA and Western European countries this rate is 0.5-0.1% and in Eastern Asian countries and tropical regions it is 5-20%. There is little information about hepatitis and its transmission and prevention routes in community, so training all community, specially, the high-risk groups has a very important role in the control of this disease. This cross-sectional study was undertaken in 2003-2004 to determine Meshkindasht high school students’ awareness level about transmission and prevention ways of hepatitis B. Data was collected by using a questionnaire including 24 questions about hepatitis B disease. Sampling was done randomly and in several stages. Of 300 responders, 153(51%) were boys and 147(49%) were girls. The maximum score of the questionnaire was 48. The mean score of total awareness was 30.67. Information about the ways of transmission and prevention was 15.13 and 15.63 respectively. Total mean of awareness was 5.24 in girls which was more than the boys(P=0.0005). Students’ level of awareness increased with education and this increase was statistically significant(P=0.0005). Level of awareness in mathematic students was the highest. Natural sciences and human sciences students came second and third respectively and this increase was statistically significant(P=0.0005). Level of awareness is not related to the level of education in students’ parents(P=0.0005). Level of information in girls was higher but was just 70% of total questionnaire score and this showed that people who will be in risk in the near future, don’t have enough information about this disease. Therefore, there is a serious need for educating and training the students on hepatitis B disease.