Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes of the General Public Towards Hepatitis C in Port Said City, Egypt (2005)

Abstract

Hepatitis C is a major and increasing health problem in Egypt. To assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of the general public towards Hepatitis C a KAP crosssectional study was conducted in Port Said between May and November 2005 on 395 randomly selected individuals over 18 years of age. A structured questionnaire collected data for the assessment ofpersonal characteristics, general knowledge about Hepatitis C, awareness about Hepatitis C transmission and ways of its prevention, and the society's attitudes towards Hepatitis C. Approximately 95% of the study population had heard about Hepatitis C but only half were certain that it was a public health problem. Many had incorrect perceptions about transmission, prevention and vaccination. There is an obvious need for public education in which government and health educators can play an important and effective role.