Level of Awareness and Knowledge of Hepatitis B infection and Vaccination among Dental Students of Abbottabad Region- A cross sectional study

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Objective: To assess knowledge and perceptions regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, transmission, occupational risk, and vaccination status among dental students and house officers in Abbottabad Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students and house officers/interns at the Dental Section, Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad. Participants were recruited using purposive non-probability sampling. Data were collected through a structured, self-administered paper-based questionnaire and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 24. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. Ethical approval was obtained, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Results: Among 121 participants, 86 (71.1%) were female and 48 (39.7%) were aged 21–23 years. Sixty-nine (57.0%) participants had received at least one HBV vaccine dose, while 52 (43.0%) were unvaccinated. Among vaccinated participants, 28 (40.6%) had received two doses, 26 (37.7%) one dose, and 15 (21.7%) three doses. Body fluids (107, 88.4%) and blood (90, 74.4%) were the most frequently identified transmission routes. Seventy-three (60.3%) participants perceived a high occupational risk. Ninety-three (76.9%) considered HBV vaccination very effective. Forty-six (38.0%) knew the recommended number of doses, while 78 (64.5%) knew the vaccination schedule. No significant gender differences were observed across the assessed knowledge, perception, and vaccination variables (all p>0.05). Conclusion: Awareness of HBV infection and vaccination was generally high, but vaccination uptake and completion of the recommended three-dose schedule were inadequate. Strengthening HBV education and vaccination before clinical training may improve occupational protection among dental trainees. Keywords: Hepatitis B virus; vaccination; knowledge; occupational risk; dental students; house officers

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