Risk Behaviors of Hepatitis "C" Viral Infection among Secondary School Students, Cairo Governorate, SAYEDA M. AHMED, NAGAT S. HABIB and GEHAN M. ISMAIL
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis C virus is an emerging global epidemic disease and Egypt reported the highest incidence in the world. Adolescents are thought to be at risk because of their high-risk behaviors. So raising their awareness about risk behavior of hepatitis C viral infection to protect them-selves.
Aim of the Study: Was to assess the risk behaviors of hepatitis "C" viral infection among secondary school students, Cairo Governorate.
Design: A descriptive cross sectional research design was utilized in this study.
Setting: The study was conducted at three governmental secondary schools at Cairo Governorate. A stratified random sample of 300 secondary school students representing 1st, 2nd and 3rd grad year were included in the study. Three tools were utilized in this study. I: Structured demographic charac-teristic. II: Structured knowledge assessment. III: Risk behav-iors assessment tool.
Results: Indicated that, the mean age of the students was 16.77±0.998 years, 63% were females. More than two fifths of the students had average knowledge, while two fifths of them had good knowledge about hepatitis C virus disease; the majority (90.7%) of them had higher level of total risk behaviors. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the student's total risk behavior scores and their age and sex, while a statistically significant negative correlation was found between the student's total risk behaviors scores and their parent's education.
Conclusions: The study concluded that, the common risk behaviors reported by the students were; tattooing; piercing ear with unsterile instrument and sharing tools and not vacci-nated against hepatitis B virus.
Recommendations: The study recommended implementa-tion of intervention program for secondary school students to raise their awareness about hepatitis C virus, and to reduce their risk behaviors.