Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and Practice of healthcare workers towards post- exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus in low resource setting

Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and Practice of healthcare workers towards post- exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus in low resource setting | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and Practice of healthcare workers towards post- exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus in low resource setting Esubalew Muluneh Aligaz, Zekarias Markos, Sitotaw Tesfa Zegeye, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835598/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus infection in medical facilities has become a major health problem. Especially in resource-poor settings, healthcare workers are managing a huge number of hepatitis B virus-infected patients, which makes them more exposed to hepatitis B virus infection. This situation makes the use of post-exposure prophylaxis for hepatitis B virus very important. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of healthcare workers towards post-exposure prophylaxis for hepatitis B virus. Objective To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of health workers towards post-exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital Methods A cross -sectional study was conducted among 422 healthcare workers from March to April 2025. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and entered and analyzed using SPSS-26. Logistic regression was used to determine any association and a P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Findings were summarized in percentages and presented in tables. Results A total of 400 responded: 167 (41.8%) male and 233 (58.2%) female in this study. Less than one-third of 134 (32.5%) healthcare workers had adequate knowledge about post-exposure prophylaxis. The majority of healthcare workers, 280 (70%), had a positive attitude towards post-exposure prophylaxis of hepatitis B virus. From the study, participant 289 (72.3%) agreed importance of guidelines for HBV post-exposure prophylaxis in the workplace. A low proportion of respondents, 178 (44.5%), had been vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus. Among the respondents, 61.3% had hepatitis B virus risky conditions. 70 (77.5%) exposed health workers did not take PEP. Among respondents who didn’t take post-exposure prophylaxis, 50 (50.7%) stated that the reason for not taking PEP was due to being unaware of the existence of post-exposure prophylaxis services and protocols. Attending training (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.6) was significantly associated with knowledge of post-exposure prophylaxis of hepatitis B. Similarly, the positive attitude of healthcare workers regarding post-exposure prophylaxis of hepatitis B virus was also significantly associated with having good knowledge (AOR = 3.35; 95% CI: 1.95, 5.78). Conclusions In conclusion, a significant proportion of study subjects had less knowledge and practice even though most of the respondents had a favorable attitude towards PEP. Therefore, a formal training center is recommended for all healthcare workers regarding post-exposure prophylaxis for HBV. Health sciences/Health care Health sciences/Health occupations Health sciences/Medical research Knowledge Attitude Practice and post-exposure prophylaxis Figures Figure 1 1 Background Infection with the hepatitis B virus continues to be a global health concern. Contact with contaminated blood or other bodily fluids, including saliva, menstrual, vaginal, and seminal secretions, can result in the viral illness known as hepatitis B. Hepatocellular necrosis, inflammation, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular cancer are the main consequences of chronic hepatitis B infection, which is still one of the most dangerous forms of viral hepatitis. According to available data, around 1.5 million new cases of hepatitis B (HBV) are recorded each year ( 1 ). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 325 million persons globally suffered from viral hepatitis in 2015, with an estimated 257 million cases of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 71 million cases of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)( 2 , 3 ). In 2015, the WHO estimated that 1.34 million people died from viral hepatitis, primarily from cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer, primarily from HBV and HCV( 2 ). According to the WHO Global Health Sector Strategy from 2016, more prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis are necessary to eradicate it by 2030 ( 4 ). The first Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on viral hepatitis was unanimously approved by the 69th World Health Assembly in May 2016. By 2030, the GHSS aims to eradicate viral hepatitis as a significant public health concern, which is accomplished by reducing hepatitis-related fatalities by 65% and new chronic HBV and HCV infections by 90%.To get close to achieving these challenging goals and eradicating viral hepatitis, modeling work shows that significant scaling up of interventions to stop transmission, as well as diagnosis and treatment to stop the effects of infection, are required. Treatment is curative for HCV and very successful against HBV. However, if these goals are to be met, a thorough public health response is required to increase access to these therapies( 5 ). Ten key indicators that concentrate on programmatic outcomes, like coverage of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, are included in the monitoring and evaluation framework released by the WHO( 6 ). Nurses and midwives were among the healthcare professionals (HCWs) who were more likely to be exposed to and contract the disease if personal protective equipment was not utilized properly( 7 , 8 ). Lack of knowledge regarding HBV prevalence and workplace safety precautions like HBV vaccination, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), training, and implementing safer working procedures may be linked to subsequent HBV transmission. ( 9 ) For unvaccinated HCWSs, handling sharps and needle stick injuries (NSI) pose serious dangers since they may expose them to multiple infections, including HBV( 8 ). Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) appear to influence health-related behaviors. ( 10 , 11 ) Nevertheless, there aren't many studies looking at HCWSs' KAP level in relation to HBV infection in Ethiopia. According to reports, KAP surveys are the most regularly utilized study instruments in research on health-seeking behavior and have been extensively employed in public health studies( 12 ). KAP studies have been used to gather data on participants' knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors related to a specific issue. Knowledge is the comprehension of any particular subject( 12 , 13 ). Attitude refers to their feelings towards this subject, preconceived ideas that they may have towards it, intention to a particular behavior, and inclination to react in a certain way to a certain situation( 14 , 15 ). Practice refers to how they do and demonstrate their knowledge and attitude through their actions ( 15 ). The purpose of this study was to assess Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and practice of health workers towards post-exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus which could help to inform the strategies for prevention and control of HBV infection in Ethiopia Furthermore, our findings can be used to inform ministry of health revisions for continuing medical education sessions and training programs for HCWs. 2 Methods and materials 2.1 Study design, period, and area A descriptive hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital which is the main referral center for patients in central Ethiopia from January to March 30/2025. These places were selected because they are tertiary healthcare facilities and public health centers that offer specialized clinical inpatient and outpatient services to a large portion of the central Ethiopian population. The total number of nurses, midwives, physicians, laboratory technicians, and anesthetists working at participating hospitals is 802. 2.2 Study population, Sampling size determination, and sampling technique All health care professionals include physicians, medical laboratory technicians, nurses, midwives, and anesthetists working at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital. The sample size was determined using 50% prevalence because we have not got the literature about the assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards post-exposure prophylaxes of hepatitis B virus among healthcare workers in Ethiopia. The sample size was determined using a single proportion formula: n= (z α/2) 2 p (1-p)/d 2 Where, n minimum sample size, p = an estimated prevalence rate for the population, d = the margin of error (0.05), and at 95% confidence interval, where z α/2 =1.96, p = the proportion of knowledge attitude practice of PEP HBV (50%) there is no similar study in the study area. The study's final sample size was 422 considering a 10% non-response rat. A stratified sampling technique was used to create strata for different professionals, and a separate sample was taken by proportion to allocate the health workers based on their numbers independently from each stratum by using a systematic random sampling technique to select study subjects among health care professionals who are working at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital (Fig. 1 ). 2.3 Operational definitions Knowledge Good knowledge- is demonstrated by the respondents' ability to properly answer at least 70% of the knowledge items ( 16 ) Poor knowledge- if less than 70% of the knowledge items were answered by the respondents attitude Positive attitude: if at least 70% of the attitude items could be correctly answered by the respondents( 16 ) Negative attitude: if fewer than 70% of the attitude items were responded to by the responders practice Good practice: when research participants could properly answer at least 70% of practice questions ( 16 ) Inadequate practice: when 70% of practice questions were incorrectly answered by the participants ( 16 ) 2.4 Data collection tool and procedure Self-administered, structured, pretested questionnaire was used to gather data. Questions on age, sex, professional category, length of service, and other socio-demographic factors were part of the data collection tool. Questions about PEP knowledge for HBV also covered topics like scheduling for PEP. A positive response of "yes” and a negative response of “No" were used to calculate PEP for the HBV attitude score. The self-administered questionnaire was adapted from previous research ( 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ) and adapted to our study setup. We conducted a pretest on 15% of the entire sample, which we excluded from the final analysis. The prepared tool incorporates four parts including socio-demographic characteristics item knowledge about post-exposure prophylaxes item attitude item practice toward PEP for HBV. Scoring of knowledge, attitude, and practice Knowledge, attitude, and practice scoring methods were used in this study. If participants successfully answered at least seven (about 70%) of the nine equally scored knowledge questions, they were considered to have "adequate knowledge" (one point for each correct response, and zero otherwise). In a similar vein, it was determined that participants had a "positive attitude" if they answered at least 70% (5 out of 7) of the attitude questions. About 70% of those who answered correctly to at least seven of the nine questions were engaging in PEP. The practices were assessed based on correct responses to practices outlined by guidelines at the time 2.5 Data quality control Before actual data collection procedures, to ensure the clarity and reliability of the tools and questionnaire, a pretest was performed with 5% of participants. After the pretest, the reliability of the tools was determined using Cronbach's alpha (0.77). These tools were validated by two professionals in the field of study. All data facilitators were trained for 2 days before the actual data collection. 2.6 Data processing and Statistical analysis The collected data was checked for its completeness, and then, data was imported into SPSS version 26. The data was summarized by statistical analysis for descriptive statistics of the variables. For categorical variables, frequencies and percentages were calculated. The bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model was used for the assessment of associated factors linked to the independent variables and the results. We computed odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The multivariate logistic regression model for associated factor analysis incorporated all variables with a P value < 0.25 (to control the influence of confounding) in the bivariate analysis. This allowed for the calculation of the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals. The Hosmer and Lemeshow test was used to assess the final binary logistic regression's model fitness at a P value > 0.05. A statistically significant association was defined as a P value ≤ 0.05 in every instance. 2.7 Ethical consideration and consent Ethical clearance and approval were obtained from the institutional review board of Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Hospital with protocol number Ref protocol: WCMH 10/2025.edu. The study was conducted in line with the Helsinki Declaration, a standard ethical principle for medical research involving humans. The participants were given a brief explanation of the purpose of the study and asked if they agreed to participate. Verbal informed permission was requested, and participants were asked to check "Yes" to accept to participate in the study. Additionally, the study subjects' confidentiality was preserved throughout the study period by not including any personal identifiers in the questionnaire and by informing them that their participation in the study was completely voluntary and that they were free to discontinue at any moment. Written consent was obtained from each respondent. Privacy and confidentiality were maintained throughout the whole study period. 3 Results 3.1 Socio-demographic Characteristics HCWs Out of 422 participants, 400 took part in this study, with a response rate of 94.8%. A total of 400 respondents, 167 (41.8%) male and 233 (58.2%) female, participated in this study. Most of the respondents were in the age groups 30–39, 255 (56.3%), with a mean age of 32. Regarding years of service of HCWs, 255 (63.7%), 132 (33%), and 11 (3.3%) served for 5–10 years, 6 months-4 years, and more than 10 years, respectively. The majority of our participants were nurses (48.3%) and midwives (37.5%) (Table 1 ). Table 1 Socio demographic characteristics of HCWS at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital Variables Number(N) Frequency (f) Sex Male 167 41.8% Female 233 58.2% Age in years 20–30 165 41.3% 31–40 255 56.3 41–50 10 2.5% 51–60 0 Marital status Single 269 67.3% Married 123 30.8% Separated 4 1% Divorced 4 1% Profession Physician 26 6.5% Nurse 193 48.3% Laboratory 20 5% Anesthetist 11 2.8% Midwifery 150 37.5% Level of education Diploma 29 7.2% BSC 284 71% MSC 60 15 Physician 27 6.8% Work experience 6month − 4 years 132 33% 5-10years 255 63.7% > 10 years 13 3.3% Monthly income > 5000 28 6.6% 5000–10000 247 58.8% > 10000 147 34.8 3.2 Knowledge level of HCWs about PEP for HBV 134(32.5%) of the study participants had adequate (good) knowledge about PEP of HBV. Half of the participants had prior information regarding to PEP of HBV. Most of them got information about PEP through clinical training 56 (27.58%). However, less than half of them 174, (43.5%) had heard of PEP guidelines. The majority of the 158 responders, or 39.5%, knew the recommended maximum delay of a PEP regimen after exposure (Table 2 ). Table 2 knowledge about PEP for HBV among health care at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital, 2025 Questions Response Frequency Have you ever heard hepatitis B infection PEP Yes 203(50.7%) No 197(49.3) What is the source of information Training 56(27.58%) Mass media 34(16%) Text book 32(15.7%) Journals 32(15.7%) Friends 33(15.8%) Others 16(7.8%) Have you heard of HBIG Yes 90 (27%) No 310 (83%) HBIG can be given intramuscularly Yes 202 (50.8%) No 198 (49.5%) HBIG provides short term protection against hepatitis B infection Yes 210 (52.5%) No 190 (47.5%) Hepatitis vaccine can be used for PEP Yes 100 (25%) No 300 (75%) HBIG used for PEEP Yes 211 (52.8%) No 189 (47.2%) Consider yourself at risk Yes 245 (61.3%) No 155 (38.7) Have you had a needle prick in the last 12 months? Yes 122 (30.5%) No 278 (69.5%) What is maximum delay for PEP 12 hours 81 (20.3%) 48hours 96 (24%) 72hours 158 (39.5%) 7days 65 (16.3%) What is the effectiveness of PEP 100% 65 (16.3%) 75–95% 158 (39.5%) 50%-70% 160 (40%) < 50 17 (4.3%) Have you attained any PEP training Yes 83 (20%) No 317 (80%) Did you know about the PEP guidelines Yes 174 (43.5%) No 226 (56.5%) Knowledge and associated factors of health care workers towards PEP of HBV To determine the relationship between the variables, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used.6 out of the 8 variables did not show a significant association with strong knowledge at the 5% level of significance, according to the results of the binary logistic and multivariate regression analysis. Age, sex, profession, monthly income, level of education, and year of service did not significantly affect the factors. Significant factors associated with knowledge of PEP included taking training and health workers having a positive attitude. The results of the multivariate logistic regression showed a strong correlation between attitude toward PEP and knowledge status, the odds of having a positive attitude toward PEP were 3.35(AOR = 3.35, 95% CI 1.95–5.78) (Table 3 ). Table 3 Knowledge and associated factors PEP for HBV among health care at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital, 2025 Variables Knowledge level COR (95%CI) AOR(95%CI) Good Poor Sex Male 78(19.5) 155(38.7) 1.13(0.72–1.70) 0.92(0.05–1.53) Female 52( 13 ) 115(28.75) 1 1 Age in years 20–30 14(3.5) 17(4.25) 1 1 31–40 67(16.75) 142(35.5) 1.06(0.25–4.36) 0.41(0.1-2.0) 41–50 49(12.25) 111(27.75) 0.50(0.99–2.52) 0.46(0.09–2.13) Professions Physician 9(2.25) 11(2.75) 1 1 Nurse 52( 13 ) 98(24.5) 4.50(1.29–17.9) 0.23(0.26–1.72) Laboratory 6(1.5) 31(7.75) 1.68(0.66–4.280 0.82(0.24–2.78) Anesthetist 2(0.5) 8( 2 ) 3.68(0.62-2,01) 0.87(0.25–2.97) Midwifery 63( 15 ) 130(32.5 1.54(0.61–3.95) 0.19(0.26–1.45) Level of education Diploma 13(3.25 16( 4 ) 0.43(0.13–1.33) 2(0.39–10.3) BSC 94(23.5) 190(47.5) 0.707(0.29–1.73) 2.57(0.51–12.7) MSC 16( 4 ) 44( 11 ) 0.963(-0.34-2.7) 2.57(0.51–12.7) Physician 7(1.75) 20( 5 ) 1 1 Year of service 6month − 4 years 91(22.75) 164(41) 0.80(0.2-3.0) 2.0(0.39-!0) 5-10years 39(9.75) 106(26.5) 0.54-0.1-2.0) 2.57(0.5–12) > 10 years 3(0.75) 10(2.5) 1 1 Monthly income > 5000 12( 3 ) 15(3.75) 1 1 5000–10000 699(17.25) 165(41.25) 1.30(0.83–2.1) 1.58(0.57–4.02) > 10000 49(12.25) 90(22.5) 0.68(0.29–1.56) 0.73(0.42–1.42) Attitude Positive 111(27.75) 169(42.25) 1 1 Negative 19(4.75) 101(25.25) 0.6(0.28-0.16-0.49) 3.35(1.95–5.78) Ever taking training Yes 39(9.7) 44( 11 ) 1 No 99(24.7) 218(54.5) 0.51(0.13–0.83) 2.1(1.2–3.6) 3.3 Attitude of HCWs about PEP for HBV Greater than half 280 (70%) of the study participants had a positive attitude toward PEP of HBV. The majority of study respondents 322 (80.5%), 352 (88%), and 289 agreed on the importance of training for behavior changes and PEP is indicated for all sharp injuries respectively. However, as Table 3 indicated only 63 (16.5%) trust PEP effectiveness ( Table 4 ). Table 4 Attitude about PEP for HBV among health care workers knowledge about PEP for HBV among health care at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital, 2025 Questions Response Frequency Do you think PEP is important Yes 272 (68%) No 128 (32%) Do you believe that training of PEP is important for a behavioral change Agree 322 (80.5%) Disagree 78 (19.5%) Neutral 0 Do you think there should be a PEP guideline in the workplace Agree 289 (72.3%) Dis agree 65 (16.3) Neutral 46 (11.3%) Do you believe PEP helps to prevent further infection? Agree 192 (48%) Disagree 145 (36.3%) Neutral 63 (15.7%) What is your opinion on the saying that PEP is indicated for any type of sharp injuries Agree 352 (88%) Dis agree 32 (8%) Neutral 66 (16.5%) What is your opinion on the belief that PEP is not important if the exposure is not with patient blood of known HBV positivity? Agree 352 (88%) Disagree 32 (8%) Neutral 66 (16.5%) Do you believe PEP Reduces HBV infection Agree 256 (64%) Disagree 81 (20.3%) Neutral 63 (15.8%) PEP is most effective way prevention of HBV Yes 250 (62.5%) NO 150 (37.5%) HCWs start PEP even not welling Agree 228 (57%%) Disagree 100 (25%) Neutral 2 (0.5%) Occupational exposure of HBV is avoidable Yes 200 (50%) No 200 (50%0 3.4 Practice of HCWs about PEP for HBV Less than half of the participants were vaccinated against hepatitis HBV (44.5%). 90(22.5%) had been exposed to HBV risky conditions. 35 (38.2%) reported the occurrence of injury and 20 (22.2%) took PEP. However, 70 (77.8%) exposed respondents didn’t take PEP. Among the individuals who took PEP 18 (90%) exposure blood from known HBV-positive patients whereas the remaining 2 (3%) were injured by sharp objects and exposure to blood from patients with unknown HBV status. The major reason for not taking 50 (71.5%) was unaware of the existence of PEP service and protocol (Table 5 ). Table 5 Practice about PEP for HBV among health care workers at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital Questions Response Frequency (%) Have you ever vaccinated against HBV Yes 178 (44.5%) No 222 (55.5%) I don’t remember Ever been exposed to HBV risky conditions Yes 90(22.5%) No 310 (77.5) I don’t remember 0 Took PEP after exposure Yes 20 (22.2%) No 70 (77.8%) Reasons for taking PEP after exposure Exposure blood from known HBV positive patients 18 (90%0 Exposure of blood from patients unknown HBV status 1 (5%) Injury of the sharp object 1 (5%) Contact patients with body fluid Reasons for not taking PEP Unaware of the existence of PEP service and protocol 50 (71.5%) Lack of understanding that value of reporting exposure Fear stigma and discrimination PEP service unavailable 20 (28.5%) Client tested negative What time did you start taking PEP Within 1 hours After 2–12 hoursw 12-48hours 15 (75%) 48- 72hours 5 (25%) 72 hours – 7 days Have you reported the occurrence of injury Yes 35 (38.8%) No 65 (61.2%) Have you tested/ cheeked after course of treatment Yes 2 (10%) No 18 (90%) 4 Discussion To our knowledge, there was no previous study in Ethiopia that was carried out to assess the KAP of healthcare workers regarding PEP. Also, there is a lack of data regarding PEP among health workers. Healthcare workers included in our study were from the experience of more than 6 months. Healthcare personnel are recognized to be constantly at risk of occupational exposure to bodily fluids, including blood, which can spread HBV and other blood-borne viruses. Thus, it should be a top priority for all healthcare facilities to improve the occupational health and safety of healthcare workers by improving their knowledge of PEP for HBV. Accordingly, our study assessed the knowledge of PEP for HBV, which is an important strategy for the prevention of occupational acquisition of HBV among HCWs. The study found participants had inadequate knowledge whose overall mean score was 32.5%. The overall poor knowledge observed in this study was a lack of training in PEP and a lack of information on the availability of PEP. The study showed that HCWs in Nigist Eleni Memorial Hospitals had low levels of knowledge of PEP for hepatitis B infection. The percentage of HCWs who were aware that hepatitis B infection had PEP was less than one-third. Lack of training on hepatitis B infection prevention may have contributed to the low knowledge of hepatitis B PEP. According to the Ethiopian National Policy recommendations on PEP, one of the most important ways to guarantee appropriate management practices following exposure to hepatitis B infection is to train healthcare professionals( 21 ). In spite of this guidance, only 27.58% of the HCWs in our study had ever attended a training that raised their awareness of hepatitis B PEP. If certain HCWs are not aware of the risk of acquiring hepatitis B, the prospects for information sharing are diminished by the restricted training opportunities. In these situations, healthcare professionals could be more likely to simply get PEP for HBV, but they are just as susceptible to acquiring hepatitis B. Only 12.1% of HCWs in Ghana and Uganda were aware of HBIG and the hepatitis B vaccine as PEP options for hepatitis B, which is almost similar to the results of our study ( 17 , 22 ). The administration of HBIG provides main protection after exposure to hepatitis B among individuals who do not respond to hepatitis B vaccination or among people who have not received vaccination ( 23 ). However, this was less known by the HCWs in our study. More than a third of HCWs were unaware of HBIG. In addition, only 25% of the HCPs were aware that the hepatitis B vaccine could be used as a hepatitis B PEP. Awareness about HBIG as a PEP option was higher in this study than in a study in Ghana (2.8%) ( 22 ). Therefore, these results underline the necessity of informing healthcare workers about the various hepatitis B PEP alternatives, which are crucial steps in reducing the risk of acquiring the virus at that moment of exposure. It is concerning that the current study found an inadequate level of knowledge about hepatitis B PEP, given the significant possibility of hepatitis B infection that exists in healthcare settings. Given the significant risk of blood-borne infections, over 30.5% of the healthcare professionals in our survey reported having experienced needle stick injuries in the previous 12 months. Without access to PEP and behavioral modification, a sizable percentage of exposures may result in hepatitis B infections in HCWs ( 24 , 25 ), which would ultimately affect the health of HCWs and their delivery of healthcare services. Our study showed that most healthcare workers were not vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus the results were lower than reports from a previous study conducted in Karachi Pakistan ( 26 ), as there is no policy in our study area mandating that healthcare workers receive an HBV vaccination. Healthcare workers exhibited a positive attitude towards the PEP of HBV. Over 70% of participants agreed importance of PEP for HBV and the availability of PEP guidelines in the workplace. This study is comparable in Nigeria However; PEP practice of HBV was low. This result tends to support the idea that PEP for HBV has to be improved in the study area ( 27 ). This could be probably lack of a PEP training center. In this study, there was a significant difference between HCW attained training of PEP. All HCW categories should be supported in obtaining adequate training and education on the WHO-recommended protocol for handling healthcare workers exposed to blood and bodily fluids infected with HBV because of this difference. However, there was no significant difference in knowledge between various categories of healthcare workers this is the different study done by Gana( 28 ). This could be probably our sample size was greater than Gana's. 5 Conclusion We conclude that the healthcare worker practice of PEP against hepatitis B virus viral infections was unsatisfactory. Most health workers were at risk for HBV, although only a small percentage of them utilized PEP because they were unfamiliar with the presence of PEP service and protocol. It is recommended that a structured PEP training center with appropriate guidelines should be available to maximize the use of PEP among health workers. Abbreviations HCWs Health Care Workers HBV Hepatitis B Virus HBC Hepatitis C virus KAP Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice PEP Post -Exposure Prophylaxis WHO World Health Organization W/U/N/E/M/M/C/H Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital Declarations Acknowledgment The author thanks the healthcare professionals of Wachamo University College of Medicine and Health Science for offering their help. Authors’ contributions EMA and ZM contributed to project management, methodology writing, supervision, and original draft writing. SDB and STZ made significant contributions in the areas of formal analysis, methodology, original draft writing, review writing, and editing. All authors have read and approved the manuscript. Availability of data materials The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request. Conflict of interest The authors declared no conflict of interest Funding This study didn’t receive any funding Ethics approval and consent to participant The study was approved by the ethical review committee at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Hospital with approved protocol number Ref: WCMH 10/ 2025.edu.et. Written consent was obtained from each respondent. Privacy and confidentiality were maintained throughout the whole study period. Competing interest The authors declared no competing interest Consent for publication NA References Bucio-Ortiz L, Enriquez-Navarro K, Maldonado-Rodríguez A, Torres-Flores JM, Cevallos AM, Salcedo M, et al. Occult hepatitis B virus infection in hepatic diseases and its significance for the WHO’s elimination plan of viral hepatitis. Pathogens. 2024;13(8):662. Organization WH. Global hepatitis report 2024: action for access in low-and middle-income countries: World Health Organization; 2024. Organization WH. Global hepatitis report 2017. 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Pakistan Journal of Public Health. 2024;14(1):38-41. Isunju JB, Wafula ST, Ndejjo R, Nuwematsiko R, Bakkabulindi P, Nalugya A, et al. Awareness of hepatitis B post-exposure prophylaxis among healthcare providers in Wakiso district, Central Uganda. PLoS One. 2022;17(6):e0270181. Souza CLd, Salgado TdA, Sardeiro TL, Galdino Junior H, Itria A, Tipple AFV. Post-vaccination anti-HBs testing among healthcare workers: More economical than post-exposure management for Hepatitis B. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem. 2020;28:e3278. Johannessen A, Gebremedhin LT, Desalegn H. New WHO hepatitis B treatment guidelines: look to Ethiopia. The Lancet Global Health. 2022;10(12):e1711-e2. Konlan KD, Aarah-Bapuah M, Kombat JM, Wuffele GM. TOPIC: "The level of nurses' knowledge on occupational post exposure to hepatitis B infection in the Tamale metropolis, Ghana". BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17(1):254. Schillie S, Murphy TV, Sawyer M, Ly K, Hughes E, Jiles R, et al. CDC guidance for evaluating health-care personnel for hepatitis B virus protection and for administering postexposure management. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2013;62(10):1-19. Kumar HN, Nambiar RP, Mohapatra S, Khanna A, Praveen R, Sai Bhawana D. A Cross-sectional Study on Hepatitis B Vaccination Status and Post-exposure Prophylaxis Practices Among Health Care Workers in Teaching Hospitals of Mangalore. Ann Glob Health. 2015;81(5):664-8. Abdela A, Woldu B, Haile K, Mathewos B, Deressa T. Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices toward prevention of hepatitis B virus infection among students of medicine and health sciences in Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Res Notes. 2016;9(1):410. Khan N, Ahmed SM, Khalid MM, Siddiqui SH, Merchant AA. Effect of gender and age on the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding hepatitis B and C and vaccination status of hepatitis B among medical students of Karachi, Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc. 2010;60(6):450-5. Okoh M, Saheeb BD. Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of post-exposure prophylaxis against blood-borne viral infection among dental surgeons in a teaching hospital. Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2017;32(1):17-22. Senoo-Dogbys VE. The Knowledge of Post Exposure Prophylaxis for Hepatitis B Virus and the Related Factors among Health Care Workers in Accra, Ghana. Archives of Occupational Health. 2022;6(1):1164-70. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6835598","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":484896288,"identity":"5c4a4701-421a-4b90-a33a-3cba08a76d55","order_by":0,"name":"Esubalew Muluneh Aligaz","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABBUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYHACNhAhA2Iw//0jIQfiHXhAhBYeMIO3wcYYrCWBBC1piQ0gLj4t/PxnzB58zDnMY3C7+dgDyR2H0+eHHX4ItMVOTrcBuxbJGTnmhjO3AbXcOZZuYHjmcO7G22kGQC3JxmYHsGsxuMFjJs0L0nIjx0wigQ2oZXYCSMuBxG04tNifP2Mm/ResJf+bxAG2w+mGs9M/4NViwJBjJs0IsYVNsrEtLUFeOge/LRI30soNe7el80jeSDOTZjhjY7hBOqfgQIIBbr/w9x/e9uDnNms5vhvJz6QZKiTk5Wenb/7wocJODpcWLE49AHEwCUC+gRTVo2AUjIJRMBIAANQbYyot8I+5AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Bahir-Dar University college of medicine and health science","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Esubalew","middleName":"Muluneh","lastName":"Aligaz","suffix":""},{"id":484896289,"identity":"d5f91716-0fd5-4d5b-a392-329cc81b08f3","order_by":1,"name":"Zekarias Markos","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Wachamo University College of medicine and health science","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zekarias","middleName":"","lastName":"Markos","suffix":""},{"id":484896290,"identity":"d4fe0b62-d0ba-450c-86e7-c7ab0875ce95","order_by":2,"name":"Sitotaw Tesfa Zegeye","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bahir-Dar University college of medicine and health science","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sitotaw","middleName":"Tesfa","lastName":"Zegeye","suffix":""},{"id":484896291,"identity":"1e9432a0-c6d1-4c7c-85f9-62485e9df95c","order_by":3,"name":"Samuel Debas Bayable","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Bahir-Dar University college of medicine and health science","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Samuel","middleName":"Debas","lastName":"Bayable","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-06-06 09:23:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835598/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835598/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":87035035,"identity":"495e0d08-309d-4a4a-a75c-750629a10494","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-18 13:12:01","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":244942,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eFlow chart of showing study participants\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6835598/v1/d21447fc01d8e80955c1fa5b.png"},{"id":101397896,"identity":"3e1be261-31f7-46fb-b03e-5937f1ee7b14","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-29 09:37:58","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1365150,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6835598/v1/1ed29cb5-3b83-40e6-895d-1e86d827421e.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and Practice of healthcare workers towards post- exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus in low resource setting","fulltext":[{"header":"1 Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eInfection with the hepatitis B virus continues to be a global health concern. Contact with contaminated blood or other bodily fluids, including saliva, menstrual, vaginal, and seminal secretions, can result in the viral illness known as hepatitis B. Hepatocellular necrosis, inflammation, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular cancer are the main consequences of chronic hepatitis B infection, which is still one of the most dangerous forms of viral hepatitis. According to available data, around 1.5\u0026nbsp;million new cases of hepatitis B (HBV) are recorded each year (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 325\u0026nbsp;million persons globally suffered from viral hepatitis in 2015, with an estimated 257\u0026nbsp;million cases of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 71\u0026nbsp;million cases of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). In 2015, the WHO estimated that 1.34\u0026nbsp;million people died from viral hepatitis, primarily from cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer, primarily from HBV and HCV(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). According to the WHO Global Health Sector Strategy from 2016, more prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis are necessary to eradicate it by 2030 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The first Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on viral hepatitis was unanimously approved by the 69th World Health Assembly in May 2016. By 2030, the GHSS aims to eradicate viral hepatitis as a significant public health concern, which is accomplished by reducing hepatitis-related fatalities by 65% and new chronic HBV and HCV infections by 90%.To get close to achieving these challenging goals and eradicating viral hepatitis, modeling work shows that significant scaling up of interventions to stop transmission, as well as diagnosis and treatment to stop the effects of infection, are required. Treatment is curative for HCV and very successful against HBV. However, if these goals are to be met, a thorough public health response is required to increase access to these therapies(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). Ten key indicators that concentrate on programmatic outcomes, like coverage of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, are included in the monitoring and evaluation framework released by the WHO(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNurses and midwives were among the healthcare professionals (HCWs) who were more likely to be exposed to and contract the disease if personal protective equipment was not utilized properly(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e). Lack of knowledge regarding HBV prevalence and workplace safety precautions like HBV vaccination, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), training, and implementing safer working procedures may be linked to subsequent HBV transmission. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e) For unvaccinated HCWSs, handling sharps and needle stick injuries (NSI) pose serious dangers since they may expose them to multiple infections, including HBV(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) appear to influence health-related behaviors. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e) Nevertheless, there aren't many studies looking at HCWSs' KAP level in relation to HBV infection in Ethiopia. According to reports, KAP surveys are the most regularly utilized study instruments in research on health-seeking behavior and have been extensively employed in public health studies(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e). KAP studies have been used to gather data on participants' knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors related to a specific issue. Knowledge is the comprehension of any particular subject(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e). Attitude refers to their feelings towards this subject, preconceived ideas that they may have towards it, intention to a particular behavior, and inclination to react in a certain way to a certain situation(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e). Practice refers to how they do and demonstrate their knowledge and attitude through their actions (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe purpose of this study was to assess Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and practice of health workers towards post-exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus which could help to inform the strategies for prevention and control of HBV infection in Ethiopia Furthermore, our findings can be used to inform ministry of health revisions for continuing medical education sessions and training programs for HCWs.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2 Methods and materials","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.1 Study design, period, and area\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA descriptive hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital which is the main referral center for patients in central Ethiopia from January to March 30/2025. These places were selected because they are tertiary healthcare facilities and public health centers that offer specialized clinical inpatient and outpatient services to a large portion of the central Ethiopian population. The total number of nurses, midwives, physicians, laboratory technicians, and anesthetists working at participating hospitals is 802.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.2 Study population, Sampling size determination, and sampling technique\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e All health care professionals include physicians, medical laboratory technicians, nurses, midwives, and anesthetists working at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital. The sample size was determined using 50% prevalence because we have not got the literature about the assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards post-exposure prophylaxes of hepatitis B virus among healthcare workers in Ethiopia.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sample size was determined using a single proportion formula: n= (z \u003csub\u003eα/2)\u003c/sub\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003ep (1-p)/d\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere, n minimum sample size, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;an estimated prevalence rate for the population, d\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;the margin of error (0.05), and at 95% confidence interval, where z \u003csub\u003eα/2\u003c/sub\u003e=1.96, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;the proportion of knowledge attitude practice of PEP HBV (50%) there is no similar study in the study area. The study's final sample size was 422 considering a 10% non-response rat.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA stratified sampling technique was used to create strata for different professionals, and a separate sample was taken by proportion to allocate the health workers based on their numbers independently from each stratum by using a systematic random sampling technique to select study subjects among health care professionals who are working at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.3 Operational definitions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnowledge\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood knowledge- is demonstrated by the respondents' ability to properly answer at least 70% of the knowledge items (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePoor knowledge- if less than 70% of the knowledge items were answered by the respondents\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eattitude\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePositive attitude: if at least 70% of the attitude items could be correctly answered by the respondents(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNegative attitude: if fewer than 70% of the attitude items were responded to by the responders\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003epractice\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood practice: when research participants could properly answer at least 70% of practice questions (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInadequate practice: when 70% of practice questions were incorrectly answered by the participants (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.4 Data collection tool and procedure\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-administered, structured, pretested questionnaire was used to gather data. Questions on age, sex, professional category, length of service, and other socio-demographic factors were part of the data collection tool. Questions about PEP knowledge for HBV also covered topics like scheduling for PEP. A positive response of \"yes\u0026rdquo; and a negative response of \u0026ldquo;No\" were used to calculate PEP for the HBV attitude score. The self-administered questionnaire was adapted from previous research (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e) and adapted to our study setup. We conducted a pretest on 15% of the entire sample, which we excluded from the final analysis. The prepared tool incorporates four parts including socio-demographic characteristics item knowledge about post-exposure prophylaxes item attitude item practice toward PEP for HBV.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eScoring of knowledge, attitude, and practice\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnowledge, attitude, and practice scoring methods were used in this study. If participants successfully answered at least seven (about 70%) of the nine equally scored knowledge questions, they were considered to have \"adequate knowledge\" (one point for each correct response, and zero otherwise). In a similar vein, it was determined that participants had a \"positive attitude\" if they answered at least 70% (5 out of 7) of the attitude questions. About 70% of those who answered correctly to at least seven of the nine questions were engaging in PEP. The practices were assessed based on correct responses to practices outlined by guidelines at the time\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.5 Data quality control\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore actual data collection procedures, to ensure the clarity and reliability of the tools and questionnaire, a pretest was performed with 5% of participants. After the pretest, the reliability of the tools was determined using Cronbach's alpha (0.77). These tools were validated by two professionals in the field of study. All data facilitators were trained for 2 days before the actual data collection.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.6 Data processing and Statistical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe collected data was checked for its completeness, and then, data was imported into SPSS version 26. The data was summarized by statistical analysis for descriptive statistics of the variables. For categorical variables, frequencies and percentages were calculated. The bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model was used for the assessment of associated factors linked to the independent variables and the results. We computed odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The multivariate logistic regression model for associated factor analysis incorporated all variables with a P value\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.25 (to control the influence of confounding) in the bivariate analysis. This allowed for the calculation of the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals. The Hosmer and Lemeshow test was used to assess the final binary logistic regression's model fitness at a P value\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05. A statistically significant association was defined as a P value\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05 in every instance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.7 Ethical consideration and consent\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e Ethical clearance and approval were obtained from the institutional review board of Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Hospital with protocol number Ref protocol: WCMH 10/2025.edu. The study was conducted in line with the Helsinki Declaration, a standard ethical principle for medical research involving humans. The participants were given a brief explanation of the purpose of the study and asked if they agreed to participate. Verbal informed permission was requested, and participants were asked to check \"Yes\" to accept to participate in the study. Additionally, the study subjects' confidentiality was preserved throughout the study period by not including any personal identifiers in the questionnaire and by informing them that their participation in the study was completely voluntary and that they were free to discontinue at any moment. Written consent was obtained from each respondent. Privacy and confidentiality were maintained throughout the whole study period.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3 Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1 Socio-demographic Characteristics HCWs\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOut of 422 participants, 400 took part in this study, with a response rate of 94.8%. A total of 400 respondents, 167 (41.8%) male and 233 (58.2%) female, participated in this study. Most of the respondents were in the age groups 30\u0026ndash;39, 255 (56.3%), with a mean age of 32. Regarding years of service of HCWs, 255 (63.7%), 132 (33%), and 11 (3.3%) served for 5\u0026ndash;10 years, 6 months-4 years, and more than 10 years, respectively. The majority of our participants were nurses (48.3%) and midwives (37.5%) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocio demographic characteristics of HCWS at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber(N)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency (f)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSex\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e167\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.8%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e233\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58.2%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge in years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u0026ndash;30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e165\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.3%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e255\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e56.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41\u0026ndash;50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.5%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u0026ndash;60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarital status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e269\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67.3%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e123\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.8%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeparated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eProfession\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhysician\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.5%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNurse\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e193\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e48.3%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaboratory\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnesthetist\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.8%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMidwifery\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.5%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLevel of education\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiploma\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.2%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBSC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e284\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e71%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMSC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhysician\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.8%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWork experience\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6month \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;4 years\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e132\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5-10years\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e255\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63.7%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;10 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.3%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMonthly income\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;5000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.6%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5000\u0026ndash;10000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e247\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58.8%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;10000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e147\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e34.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2 Knowledge level of HCWs about PEP for HBV\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e134(32.5%) of the study participants had adequate (good) knowledge about PEP of HBV. Half of the participants had prior information regarding to PEP of HBV. Most of them got information about PEP through clinical training 56 (27.58%). However, less than half of them 174, (43.5%) had heard of PEP guidelines. The majority of the 158 responders, or 39.5%, knew the recommended maximum delay of a PEP regimen after exposure (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eknowledge about PEP for HBV among health care at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital, 2025\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eResponse\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you ever heard hepatitis B infection PEP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e203(50.7%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e197(49.3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is the source of information\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTraining\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e56(27.58%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMass media\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e34(16%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eText book\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32(15.7%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eJournals\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32(15.7%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFriends\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33(15.8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOthers\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16(7.8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you heard of HBIG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e90 (27%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e310 (83%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHBIG can be given intramuscularly\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e202 (50.8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e198 (49.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHBIG provides short term protection against hepatitis B infection\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e210 (52.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e190 (47.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHepatitis vaccine can be used for PEP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100 (25%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e300 (75%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHBIG used for PEEP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e211 (52.8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e189 (47.2%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsider yourself at risk\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e245 (61.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e155 (38.7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you had a needle prick in the last 12 months?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e122 (30.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e278 (69.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is maximum delay for PEP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12 hours\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e81 (20.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e48hours\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e96 (24%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e72hours\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e158 (39.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7days\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65 (16.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is the effectiveness of PEP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65 (16.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75\u0026ndash;95%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e158 (39.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50%-70%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e160 (40%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17 (4.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you attained any PEP training\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e83 (20%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e317 (80%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDid you know about the PEP guidelines\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e174 (43.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e226 (56.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKnowledge and associated factors of health care workers towards PEP of HBV\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo determine the relationship between the variables, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used.6 out of the 8 variables did not show a significant association with strong knowledge at the 5% level of significance, according to the results of the binary logistic and multivariate regression analysis. Age, sex, profession, monthly income, level of education, and year of service did not significantly affect the factors. Significant factors associated with knowledge of PEP included taking training and health workers having a positive attitude. The results of the multivariate logistic regression showed a strong correlation between attitude toward PEP and knowledge status, the odds of having a positive attitude toward PEP were 3.35(AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.35, 95% CI 1.95\u0026ndash;5.78) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnowledge and associated factors PEP for HBV among health care at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital, 2025\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" morerows=\"1\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnowledge level\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCOR (95%CI)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAOR(95%CI)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePoor\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78(19.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e155(38.7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.13(0.72\u0026ndash;1.70)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.92(0.05\u0026ndash;1.53)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e115(28.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge in years\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u0026ndash;30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14(3.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17(4.25)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67(16.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e142(35.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.06(0.25\u0026ndash;4.36)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.41(0.1-2.0)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41\u0026ndash;50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49(12.25)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e111(27.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.50(0.99\u0026ndash;2.52)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.46(0.09\u0026ndash;2.13)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eProfessions\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhysician\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9(2.25)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11(2.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNurse\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e98(24.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.50(1.29\u0026ndash;17.9)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.23(0.26\u0026ndash;1.72)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaboratory\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6(1.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31(7.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.68(0.66\u0026ndash;4.280\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.82(0.24\u0026ndash;2.78)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnesthetist\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.68(0.62-2,01)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.87(0.25\u0026ndash;2.97)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMidwifery\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e130(32.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.54(0.61\u0026ndash;3.95)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19(0.26\u0026ndash;1.45)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLevel of education\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiploma\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13(3.25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.43(0.13\u0026ndash;1.33)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.39\u0026ndash;10.3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBSC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e94(23.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e190(47.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.707(0.29\u0026ndash;1.73)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.57(0.51\u0026ndash;12.7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMSC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.963(-0.34-2.7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.57(0.51\u0026ndash;12.7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhysician\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7(1.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eYear of service\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6month \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;4 years\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e91(22.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e164(41)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.80(0.2-3.0)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.0(0.39-!0)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5-10years\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39(9.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e106(26.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.54-0.1-2.0)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.57(0.5\u0026ndash;12)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;10 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(0.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10(2.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMonthly income\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;5000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15(3.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5000\u0026ndash;10000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e699(17.25)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e165(41.25)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.30(0.83\u0026ndash;2.1)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.58(0.57\u0026ndash;4.02)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;10000\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49(12.25)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e90(22.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.68(0.29\u0026ndash;1.56)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.73(0.42\u0026ndash;1.42)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAttitude\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePositive\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e111(27.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e169(42.25)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNegative\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19(4.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e101(25.25)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.6(0.28-0.16-0.49)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.35(1.95\u0026ndash;5.78)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEver taking training\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39(9.7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e99(24.7)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e218(54.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.51(0.13\u0026ndash;0.83)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.1(1.2\u0026ndash;3.6)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3 Attitude of HCWs about PEP for HBV\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eGreater than half 280 (70%) of the study participants had a positive attitude toward PEP of HBV. The majority of study respondents 322 (80.5%), 352 (88%), and 289 agreed on the importance of training for behavior changes and PEP is indicated for all sharp injuries respectively. However, as Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e indicated only 63 (16.5%) trust PEP effectiveness ( Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAttitude about PEP for HBV among health care workers knowledge about PEP for HBV among health care at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital, 2025\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eResponse\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you think PEP is important\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e272 (68%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e128 (32%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you believe that training of PEP is important for a behavioral change\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e322 (80.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisagree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78 (19.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you think there should be a PEP guideline in the workplace\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e289 (72.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDis agree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65 (16.3)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e46 (11.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you believe PEP helps to prevent further infection?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e192 (48%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisagree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e145 (36.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63 (15.7%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is your opinion on the saying that PEP is indicated for any type of sharp injuries\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e352 (88%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDis agree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32 (8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e66 (16.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is your opinion on the belief that PEP is not important if the exposure is not with patient blood of known HBV positivity?\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e352 (88%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisagree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32 (8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e66 (16.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you believe PEP Reduces HBV infection\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e256 (64%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisagree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e81 (20.3%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63 (15.8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePEP is most effective way prevention of HBV\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e250 (62.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNO\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e150 (37.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHCWs start PEP even not welling\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e228 (57%%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisagree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100 (25%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2 (0.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOccupational exposure of HBV is avoidable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e200 (50%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e200 (50%0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.4 Practice of HCWs about PEP for HBV\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eLess than half of the participants were vaccinated against hepatitis HBV (44.5%). 90(22.5%) had been exposed to HBV risky conditions. 35 (38.2%) reported the occurrence of injury and 20 (22.2%) took PEP. However, 70 (77.8%) exposed respondents didn\u0026rsquo;t take PEP. Among the individuals who took PEP 18 (90%) exposure blood from known HBV-positive patients whereas the remaining 2 (3%) were injured by sharp objects and exposure to blood from patients with unknown HBV status. The major reason for not taking 50 (71.5%) was unaware of the existence of PEP service and protocol (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePractice about PEP for HBV among health care workers at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuestions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eResponse\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency (%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you ever vaccinated against HBV\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e178 (44.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e222 (55.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t remember\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEver been exposed to HBV risky conditions\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e90(22.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e310 (77.5)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t remember\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTook PEP after exposure\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20 (22.2%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70 (77.8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReasons for taking PEP after exposure\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eExposure blood from known HBV positive patients\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18 (90%0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eExposure of blood from patients unknown HBV status\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1 (5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInjury of the sharp object\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1 (5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eContact patients with body fluid\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReasons for not taking PEP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnaware of the existence of PEP service and protocol\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50 (71.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLack of understanding that value of reporting exposure\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFear stigma and discrimination\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePEP service unavailable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20 (28.5%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eClient tested negative\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat time did you start taking PEP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWithin 1 hours\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter 2\u0026ndash;12 hoursw\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12-48hours\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15 (75%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e48- 72hours\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5 (25%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e72 hours \u0026ndash; 7 days\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you reported the occurrence of injury\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35 (38.8%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65 (61.2%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHave you tested/ cheeked after course of treatment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2 (10%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18 (90%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4 Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eTo our knowledge, there was no previous study in Ethiopia that was carried out to assess the KAP of healthcare workers regarding PEP. Also, there is a lack of data regarding PEP among health workers. Healthcare workers included in our study were from the experience of more than 6 months.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHealthcare personnel are recognized to be constantly at risk of occupational exposure to bodily fluids, including blood, which can spread HBV and other blood-borne viruses. Thus, it should be a top priority for all healthcare facilities to improve the occupational health and safety of healthcare workers by improving their knowledge of PEP for HBV. Accordingly, our study assessed the knowledge of PEP for HBV, which is an important strategy for the prevention of occupational acquisition of HBV among HCWs. The study found participants had inadequate knowledge whose overall mean score was 32.5%. The overall poor knowledge observed in this study was a lack of training in PEP and a lack of information on the availability of PEP.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe study showed that HCWs in Nigist Eleni Memorial Hospitals had low levels of knowledge of PEP for hepatitis B infection. The percentage of HCWs who were aware that hepatitis B infection had PEP was less than one-third. Lack of training on hepatitis B infection prevention may have contributed to the low knowledge of hepatitis B PEP. According to the Ethiopian National Policy recommendations on PEP, one of the most important ways to guarantee appropriate management practices following exposure to hepatitis B infection is to train healthcare professionals(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e). In spite of this guidance, only 27.58% of the HCWs in our study had ever attended a training that raised their awareness of hepatitis B PEP. If certain HCWs are not aware of the risk of acquiring hepatitis B, the prospects for information sharing are diminished by the restricted training opportunities. In these situations, healthcare professionals could be more likely to simply get PEP for HBV, but they are just as susceptible to acquiring hepatitis B. Only 12.1% of HCWs in Ghana and Uganda were aware of HBIG and the hepatitis B vaccine as PEP options for hepatitis B, which is almost similar to the results of our study (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe administration of HBIG provides main protection after exposure to hepatitis B among individuals who do not respond to hepatitis B vaccination or among people who have not received vaccination (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e). However, this was less known by the HCWs in our study. More than a third of HCWs were unaware of HBIG. In addition, only 25% of the HCPs were aware that the hepatitis B vaccine could be used as a hepatitis B PEP. Awareness about HBIG as a PEP option was higher in this study than in a study in Ghana (2.8%) (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, these results underline the necessity of informing healthcare workers about the various hepatitis B PEP alternatives, which are crucial steps in reducing the risk of acquiring the virus at that moment of exposure.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is concerning that the current study found an inadequate level of knowledge about hepatitis B PEP, given the significant possibility of hepatitis B infection that exists in healthcare settings. Given the significant risk of blood-borne infections, over 30.5% of the healthcare professionals in our survey reported having experienced needle stick injuries in the previous 12 months. Without access to PEP and behavioral modification, a sizable percentage of exposures may result in hepatitis B infections in HCWs (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e), which would ultimately affect the health of HCWs and their delivery of healthcare services.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur study showed that most healthcare workers were not vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus the results were lower than reports from a previous study conducted in Karachi Pakistan (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e), as there is no policy in our study area mandating that healthcare workers receive an HBV vaccination.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHealthcare workers exhibited a positive attitude towards the PEP of HBV. Over 70% of participants agreed importance of PEP for HBV and the availability of PEP guidelines in the workplace. This study is comparable in Nigeria However; PEP practice of HBV was low. This result tends to support the idea that PEP for HBV has to be improved in the study area (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e). This could be probably lack of a PEP training center.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this study, there was a significant difference between HCW attained training of PEP. All HCW categories should be supported in obtaining adequate training and education on the WHO-recommended protocol for handling healthcare workers exposed to blood and bodily fluids infected with HBV because of this difference. However, there was no significant difference in knowledge between various categories of healthcare workers this is the different study done by Gana(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e). This could be probably our sample size was greater than Gana's.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5 Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe conclude that the healthcare worker practice of PEP against hepatitis B virus viral infections was unsatisfactory. Most health workers were at risk for HBV, although only a small percentage of them utilized PEP because they were unfamiliar with the presence of PEP service and protocol. It is recommended that a structured PEP training center with appropriate guidelines should be available to maximize the use of PEP among health workers.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eHCWs\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHealth Care Workers\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eHBV\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHepatitis B Virus\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eHBC\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHepatitis C virus\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eKAP\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnowledge, Attitude, and Practice\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003ePEP\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePost -Exposure Prophylaxis\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eWHO\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWorld Health Organization\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eW/U/N/E/M/M/C/H\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003eAcknowledgment\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author thanks the healthcare professionals of Wachamo University College of Medicine and Health Science for offering their help.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; contributions\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEMA and ZM contributed to project management, methodology writing, supervision, and original draft writing. SDB and STZ made significant contributions in the areas of formal analysis, methodology, original draft writing, review writing, and editing. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAvailability of data materials\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConflict of interest\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declared no conflict of interest\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study didn\u0026rsquo;t receive any funding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthics approval and consent to participant\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study was approved by the ethical review committee at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Hospital with approved protocol number Ref: WCMH 10/ 2025.edu.et. Written consent was obtained from each respondent. Privacy and confidentiality were maintained throughout the whole study period.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompeting interest\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declared no competing interest\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;NA\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBucio-Ortiz L, Enriquez-Navarro K, Maldonado-Rodr\u0026iacute;guez A, Torres-Flores JM, Cevallos AM, Salcedo M, et al. Occult hepatitis B virus infection in hepatic diseases and its significance for the WHO\u0026rsquo;s elimination plan of viral hepatitis. Pathogens. 2024;13(8):662.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrganization WH. Global hepatitis report 2024: action for access in low-and middle-income countries: World Health Organization; 2024.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrganization WH. Global hepatitis report 2017. Global hepatitis report 20172017.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmith S, Harmanci H, Hutin Y, Hess S, Bulterys M, Peck R, et al. Global progress on the elimination of viral hepatitis as a major public health threat: An analysis of WHO Member State responses 2017. JHEP reports. 2019;1(2):81-9.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrganization WH. Global health sector strategies on, respectively, HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections for the period 2022-2030: World Health Organization; 2022.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrganization WH. Monitoring and evaluation for viral hepatitis B and C: recommended indicators and framework. Monitoring and evaluation for viral hepatitis B and C: recommended indicators and framework2016.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTatsilong HOP, Noubiap JJN, Nansseu JRN, Aminde LN, Bigna JJR, Ndze VN, et al. Hepatitis B infection awareness, vaccine perceptions and uptake, and serological profile of a group of health care workers in Yaound\u0026eacute;, Cameroon. BMC public health. 2016;16:1-7.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElseviers MM, Arias‐Guill\u0026eacute;n M, Gorke A, Arens HJ. Sharps injuries amongst healthcare workers: review of incidence, transmissions and costs. Journal of renal care. 2014;40(3):150-6.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbou MAA, Eltahir YM, Ali AS. Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus among blood donors in Nyala, South Dar Fur, Sudan. Virology Journal. 2009;6:1-4.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKlett-Tammen CJ, Krause G, Seefeld L, Ott JJ. Determinants of tetanus, pneumococcal and influenza vaccination in the elderly: a representative cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP). BMC public health. 2015;16:1-9.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoehme TL. Hepatitis B the nurse-midwife\u0026apos;s role in management and prevention. Journal of Nurse-Midwifery. 1985;30(2):79-87.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eul Haq N, Hassali MA, Shafie AA, Saleem F, Farooqui M, Haseeb A, et al. A cross-sectional assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice among Hepatitis-B patients in Quetta, Pakistan. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:1-9.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrganization WH. Advocacy, communication and social mobilization for TB control: A GUIDE TO DEVELOPING KNOWLEDGE. Attitude and practice surveys. 2008.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKaliyaperumal K. Guideline for conducting a knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) study. AECS illumination. 2004;4(1):7.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBadran IG. Knowledge, attitude and practice the three pillars of excellence and wisdom: a place in the medical profession. East Mediterr Health J. 1995;1(1):8-16.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbdela A, Woldu B, Haile K, Mathewos B, Deressa T. Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices toward prevention of hepatitis B virus infection among students of medicine and health sciences in Northwest Ethiopia. BMC research notes. 2016;9:1-7.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIsunju JB, Wafula ST, Ndejjo R, Nuwematsiko R, Bakkabulindi P, Nalugya A, et al. Awareness of hepatitis B post-exposure prophylaxis among healthcare providers in Wakiso district, Central Uganda. PloS one. 2022;17(6):e0270181.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAli M, Khan N, Bugti SA, Mengal A, Tariq I. The Knowledge of Healthcare Professionals Regarding Post-Exposure Prophylaxis for Hepatitis B in District Quetta, Balochistan. Pakistan Journal of Public Health. 2024;14(1):38-41.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIsunju JB, Wafula ST, Ndejjo R, Nuwematsiko R, Bakkabulindi P, Nalugya A, et al. Awareness of hepatitis B post-exposure prophylaxis among healthcare providers in Wakiso district, Central Uganda. PLoS One. 2022;17(6):e0270181.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSouza CLd, Salgado TdA, Sardeiro TL, Galdino Junior H, Itria A, Tipple AFV. Post-vaccination anti-HBs testing among healthcare workers: More economical than post-exposure management for Hepatitis B. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem. 2020;28:e3278.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJohannessen A, Gebremedhin LT, Desalegn H. New WHO hepatitis B treatment guidelines: look to Ethiopia. The Lancet Global Health. 2022;10(12):e1711-e2.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKonlan KD, Aarah-Bapuah M, Kombat JM, Wuffele GM. TOPIC: \u0026quot;The level of nurses\u0026apos; knowledge on occupational post exposure to hepatitis B infection in the Tamale metropolis, Ghana\u0026quot;. BMC Health Serv Res. 2017;17(1):254.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchillie S, Murphy TV, Sawyer M, Ly K, Hughes E, Jiles R, et al. CDC guidance for evaluating health-care personnel for hepatitis B virus protection and for administering postexposure management. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2013;62(10):1-19.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKumar HN, Nambiar RP, Mohapatra S, Khanna A, Praveen R, Sai Bhawana D. A Cross-sectional Study on Hepatitis B Vaccination Status and Post-exposure Prophylaxis Practices Among Health Care Workers in Teaching Hospitals of Mangalore. Ann Glob Health. 2015;81(5):664-8.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbdela A, Woldu B, Haile K, Mathewos B, Deressa T. Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices toward prevention of hepatitis B virus infection among students of medicine and health sciences in Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Res Notes. 2016;9(1):410.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKhan N, Ahmed SM, Khalid MM, Siddiqui SH, Merchant AA. Effect of gender and age on the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding hepatitis B and C and vaccination status of hepatitis B among medical students of Karachi, Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc. 2010;60(6):450-5.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOkoh M, Saheeb BD. Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of post-exposure prophylaxis against blood-borne viral infection among dental surgeons in a teaching hospital. Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2017;32(1):17-22.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSenoo-Dogbys VE. The Knowledge of Post Exposure Prophylaxis for Hepatitis B Virus and the Related Factors among Health Care Workers in Accra, Ghana. Archives of Occupational Health. 2022;6(1):1164-70.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and post-exposure prophylaxis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835598/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835598/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eHepatitis B virus infection in medical facilities has become a major health problem. Especially in resource-poor settings, healthcare workers are managing a huge number of hepatitis B virus-infected patients, which makes them more exposed to hepatitis B virus infection. This situation makes the use of post-exposure prophylaxis for hepatitis B virus very important. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of healthcare workers towards post-exposure prophylaxis for hepatitis B virus.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eObjective\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of health workers towards post-exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus at Wachamo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Hospital\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA cross\u003c/b\u003e-sectional study was conducted among 422 healthcare workers from March to April 2025. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and entered and analyzed using SPSS-26. Logistic regression was used to determine any association and a P-value of \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Findings were summarized in percentages and presented in tables.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA total\u003c/b\u003e of 400 responded: 167 (41.8%) male and 233 (58.2%) female in this study. Less than one-third of 134 (32.5%) healthcare workers had adequate knowledge about post-exposure prophylaxis. The majority of healthcare workers, 280 (70%), had a positive attitude towards post-exposure prophylaxis of hepatitis B virus. From the study, participant 289 (72.3%) agreed importance of guidelines for HBV post-exposure prophylaxis in the workplace. A low proportion of respondents, 178 (44.5%), had been vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus. Among the respondents, 61.3% had hepatitis B virus risky conditions. 70 (77.5%) exposed health workers did not take PEP. Among respondents who didn\u0026rsquo;t take post-exposure prophylaxis, 50 (50.7%) stated that the reason for not taking PEP was due to being unaware of the existence of post-exposure prophylaxis services and protocols. Attending training (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.1; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.6) was significantly associated with knowledge of post-exposure prophylaxis of hepatitis B. Similarly, the positive attitude of healthcare workers regarding post-exposure prophylaxis of hepatitis B virus was also significantly associated with having good knowledge (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.35; 95% CI: 1.95, 5.78).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, a significant proportion of study subjects had less knowledge and practice even though most of the respondents had a favorable attitude towards PEP. Therefore, a formal training center is recommended for all healthcare workers regarding post-exposure prophylaxis for HBV.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Assessment of Knowledge, attitude, and Practice of healthcare workers towards post- exposure prophylaxis hepatitis B virus in low resource setting","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-18 13:11:57","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835598/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"7f913039-fde9-4604-afa9-2fe051c46c04","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 18th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":51470514,"name":"Health sciences/Health care"},{"id":51470515,"name":"Health sciences/Health occupations"},{"id":51470516,"name":"Health sciences/Medical research"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-28T10:13:13+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-18 13:11:57","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6835598","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6835598","identity":"rs-6835598","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}