Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis B among patients

China has the largest number of hepatitis B patients globally, making early detection, intervention, and treatment crucial. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward antiviral treatment among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among hepatitis B patients at the author's Hospital, Tianjin, China, between October 2022 and January 2023. Primary outcomes were KAP scores (knowledge: 0-18, attitude: 0-35, practice: 0-50). Secondary outcomes included factors associated with KAP. A total of 457 hepatitis B patients participated. The Mean KAP scores were 9.70 ± 4.64 (knowledge), 24.00 ± 3.28 (attitude), and 38.85 ± 6.56 (practice). Factors independently associated with adequate knowledge included household income 5,000-10,000 CNY (OR = 1.81, 95%CI: 1.05-3.12; positive factor), > 10,000 CNY (OR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.01-4.17; positive factor), rural cooperative medical insurance (OR = 0.5, 95%CI: 0.27-0.94; negative factor), carrier-stage hepatitis B (OR = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.13-0.91; negative factor), and treatment > 10 years (OR = 2.74, 95%CI: 1.09-6.88; positive factor). Positive attitude was associated with income > 10,000 CNY (OR = 2.77, 95%CI: 1.41-5.44; positive factor) but negatively with cirrhosis (OR = 0.43, 95%CI: 0.24-0.76; negative factor) and liver cancer (OR = 0.19, 95%CI: 0.05-0.71; negative factor). Knowledge (OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.13-1.27) was independently associated with a proactive practice, while female sex (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.35-0.95) and use to drink (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.22-0.82) were independently associated with worse practice. CHB patients demonstrated suboptimal KAP levels regarding antiviral therapy. Policy support should prioritize low-income populations to improve treatment adherence and outcomes.