Knowledge levels and attitudes of health care professionals toward patients with hepatitis C infection

Table 1 Hepatitis C knowledge level, attitude and self-reported statement questions in the questionnaire

Hepatitis C knowledge questions (response options: true, false and uncertain)

Hepatitis C is caused by a virus

Hepatitis C is caused by bacteria

Hepatitis C can be spread through close personal contact such as kissing

Hepatitis C can be spread through sharing injecting equipment, such as needles, tourniquets, spoons, filters and swabs

Hepatitis C can be spread by mosquitoes

Hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact

Having a medical and/or dental procedure performed in the Middle East, South East Asia or the Mediterranean increases a person's chances of contracting hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is spread through the air in an enclosed environment (e.g., crowded buses and elevators)

Sexual transmission is a common way hepatitis C is spread

Some people with hepatitis C were infected through unsterile tattooing

Some people with hepatitis C were infected through blood transfusions

People with hepatitis C should be restricted from working in the food industry

Hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis

Hepatitis C is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer

Hepatitis C is a mutation of hepatitis B

A person can be infected with hepatitis C and not have any symptoms of the disease

There is a pharmaceutical treatment available for hepatitis C

There is a vaccine for hepatitis C

HIV is easier to catch than hepatitis C

An individual can have hepatitis C antibodies without being currently infected with the virus

People with hepatitis C should restrict their alcohol intake

Once you have had hepatitis C, you cannot catch it again because you are immune

Attitudes and self-reported behavior statements according to theme (response options: strongly agree, agree, uncertain, disagree and strongly disagree)

Attitudes and self-reported behavior toward the implementation of infection control guidelines

When receiving health care, patients with hepatitis C (HCV) should be identified for safety reasons

Patients with HCV should be given the last appointment for the day (ICG)

Health professionals who are HCV positive should be discouraged from having contact with patients

All patients should be tested for HCV before they receive health care

I deliver the same standard of care to patients with HCV as I do for other patients

I feel that I do not have the skills needed to effectively and safely treat patients with HCV

Following infection control guidelines will protect me from being infected with HCV at work

I often use additional infection control precautions when treating patients with HCV

I would prefer to wear two pairs of gloves when treating a bleeding person with HCV

The infection control guidelines necessary to treat patients with hepatitis C would be a financial burden on my practice/ward

Attitudes and self-reported compassion toward people with hepatitis C

I feel sorry for people who contracted HCV through a blood transfusion

I feel sorry for people who contracted HCV through HIV drug use

Attitudes and self-reported willingness to treat people with hepatitis C

I do not like treating people with HCV

I am willing to treat people with HCV

I believe my profession should have central role in the treatment of HCV

HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; ICG: International crisis group.

Table 2 Health care workers’ demographic data

Variable		n (%)
Age (yr)	≤ 30	108 (45.2)
	31-40	88 (36.8)
	≥ 41	43 (18.0)
Sex	Male	47 (19.7)
	Female	192 (80.3)
Working history (yr)	≤ 5	117 (49)
	6-10	60 (25.1)
	≥ 11	62 (25.9)
Health care group	Physicians	79 (33.1)
	Nurses	150 (62.8)
	Technicians	10 (4.2)
NSI history	Yes	125 (52.3)
	No	114 (47.7)
Education	Yes	189 (79.1)
	No	50 (20.9)

NSI: Needle stick injury.

Table 3 Health care workers’ hepatitis C knowledge scores in association with different variables (mean ± SD)

Variables		n	Mean knowledge score (SD)	P value
Sex	Male	47	18.78 (2.12)	0.0001
	Female	192	17.1 (2.66)
Age	≤ 30	108	16.75 (2.9)	0.001
	31-40	88	17.93 (2.22)
	≥ 41	43	18.13 (2.41)
Working history	≤ 5	117	17.05 (2.97)	0.073
	6-10	60	17.6 (2.91)
	≥ 11	62	17.98 (2.54)
Professional group	Physicians	79	19.26 (1.97)	0.0001
	Nurses	150	16.61 (2.51)
	Technicians	10	15.3 (1.25)
NSI history	Yes	125	17.28 (2.81)	NS
	No	114	17.59 (2.45)

NSI: Needle stick injury; NS: Not significant.

Table 4 Association of health care workers’ attitudes with different variables

Variables	P value
Sex	0.0001
Age	0.002
Working history	0.002
Professional group	0.0001
NSI history	NS
Education	0.035
Knowledge score	0.0001

NSI: Needle stick injury; NS: Not significant.