WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

*Esraa Abd ALrazak Saed and Prof. Dr. Mohammed A. Al-Bayat

ABSTRACT

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a significant global health challenge, affecting an estimated 250–300 million people worldwide. Despite the availability of preventive measures, public awareness andunderstanding of HBV often remain inadequate, particularly in regions with high endemicity. Objective: Thisstudy aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding HBV among outpatient visitors inBaghdad, Iraq, and to explore how these aspects correlate with sociodemographic factors. Methods: A crosssectionalstudy was conducted from March to July 2024 across four major hospitals in Baghdad: Al YarmoukTeaching Hospital, Al Forat Hospital, Al Kindi Teaching Hospital, and El Sheikh Zayed Hospital. A total of 400adult outpatients (aged 18 and above) were recruited using a convenient sampling method. Data were collectedusing a structured 35-item questionnaire covering demographic information and KAP related to HBV. Dataanalysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 29, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Of theparticipants, 67.3% were male and 62.5% identified as middle-class. Poor knowledge of HBV was noted in 38%of respondents. While 54% recognized jaundice as a main symptom, only 14.5% had undergone HBV screening,and 20.8% had received vaccination. Additionally, 37.5% demonstrated poor preventive practices. Significantassociations were found between KAP scores and participants’ age, education, occupation, and place of residence.Conclusion: The study reveals a concerning deficiency in knowledge and preventive practices related to HBVamong outpatient visitors, highlighting the need for targeted awareness and educational campaigns to improvepublic understanding and health behaviors.