Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
VIRAL HEPATIT DERGISI-VIRAL HEPATITIS JOURNAL, cilt.28, 2023 (ESCI, Scopus)
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Although there is an effective and valid vaccine,
hepatitis A is an important public health problem, especially in
underdeveloped countries. Ensuring high vaccination rates can
help reduce the burden of hepatitis A. The aim of our study was
to investigate hepatitis A seroprevalence, vaccination status, and
barriers to vaccination among healthcare professionals.
Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study.
The study was carried out in the staff health screening outpatient
clinic of Mengücek Gazi Training and Research Hospital, and the
hepatitis A immunoglobulin G (IgG) results of 226 people included
in the study were evaluated. A 20-question questionnaire prepared
by the researchers, which scanned the participants’ occupations,
hepatitis infection status, coronavirus and hepatitis A vaccination
status, barriers to vaccination, and their relationship with primary
care physicians, was filled in by face- to-face interview method.
Results: The mean age was 30.02. Anti-hepatitis A virus IgG value
was positive in 65.5% (n=148) of the participants. Only 36.7%
(n=83) of the participants had previously been vaccinated against
hepatitis A. The biggest obstacle to vaccination was the lack of
time with 32.1% (n=46). Hepatitis A vaccination rate of physicians
were statistically significantly higher than the others (p=0.018).
The communication of the participants with their family physicians
positively affected the vaccination rates positively (p=0.001).
Conclusion: The vaccination rate among healthcare workers was
relatively low, indicating the need for increased efforts to improve vaccination rates. At this stage, family physicians should take a
more active role in public health.
Keywords: Hepatitis A, hepatitis A vaccines, seroprevalence,
vaccination