[The impact of hepatitis B knowledge on screening behavior factors in outpatients]

According to Taiwan Department of Health and World Health Organization statistics, hepatic tumors are the second leading cause of death from malignant disease in Taiwan, with 600,000 deaths from HBV (hepatitis B virus ) infected complication annually. Hepatitis B virus infection is thus an important issue in public health policy.

The aims of this study were to investigate hepatitis B knowledge and screening behavior and then identify significant prediction factors of hepatitis B screening behavior.

A cross-sectional survey and convenience sampling were used to investigate 282 outpatients at the one target hospital. Descriptive statistics, independent t test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman relation, and multiple regression were used to analyze impact factors.

Slightly over half (55.7%) of the participants had received HBV screening. The average hepatitis B knowledge score was 9.38, with an average correct rate of 72.2%."Whether friends and relatives suffer from hepatitis B", "knowledge of hepatitis B", "perceived barriers to action", and "cue for action" explained 12.3% of total variance. Of these, "perceived barriers of action" was the most important predictor of hepatitis B screening behavior.

Although participant knowledge of hepatitis B was relatively good, the screening rate was less than ideal. Results point to "perceived barriers of action" as a key factor affecting screening behavior. We suggest establishing an independent outpatient service to offer screening for hepatitis B in order to reduce waiting time and provide greater convenience. We also suggest the implementation of a policy to unify charges to raise public motivation to undergo screening.