Awareness of hepatitis C infection among medical and engineering students

Objective: To determine the current knowledge and awareness of medical and engineering students regarding the Hepatitis-C infection, its treatment and complications. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out amongst medical and engineering students from four different universities selected by convenient sampling method. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The participants were asked to answer the questions as Yes, No and Don't know. Analysis of the data was carried out with SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 561 students were registered in the study, out of which 269 were medical and 292 were engineering students. More than 95% of medical students were aware about routes of its transmission and treatment available. However, amongst engineering student, 87% knew that it is transmitted by blood transfusion while 72% knew that it is spread by intravenous drug abuse. Only 62% thought that it was spread by body piercing and tattooing. 49% of engineering students had the knowledge that it is spread by sexual contact. However, both medical and engineering students were not aware whether Hepatitis C could be transmitted from mother to new born or through breast feeding. Most of the medical students (95%) were well informed about its complications; on the contrary engineering students (40%) had poor information about it. All students had poor knowledge regarding vaccine against hepatitis C. Source of information in 90% of medical students was academics and in 9% it was from peers, while in non-medical students main source of information was social media (70%) and peers (24%). The difference between knowledge and awareness of medical and engineering students was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Although the engineering students were more aware about modes of transmission of disease than general population, still their awareness was less than medical students. Both medical and engineering students need to improve awareness about treatment and complication of chronic hepatitis C. (Rawal Med J 201:43:373-376).