Assessing Hepatitis B Knowledge Among Immigrant Communities in New York City

The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) among New York City immigrants. Data were obtained from cohort of 2385 persons at-risk for HBV, who completed a knowledge assessment survey during HBV screening events in 2010-2013. HBV knowledge scores were very low among the tested population, with the majority answering every question incorrectly. Participants had higher odds of obtaining a better score if they were fluent in English or born in the US, where participants had lower odds if they were born in Africa or spoke French as their native language. Results show a distinct lack of HBV knowledge among multiple communities at risk for HBV. Future research is needed to evaluate effective interventions to increase HBV knowledge in foreign-born, at-risk communities.