Effects of Disease Education on Knowledge and Attitude towards Hepatitis B among in-school Adolescents with Hearing Impairment in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Knowledge and attitude play essential roles in controlling hepatitis B among all populations, including in-school adolescents with hearing impairment who regularly face barriers to health information. Hepatitis B continues to remain a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, especially for adolescents with hearing loss. Studies report low levels of knowledge and unfavourable attitudes toward hepatitis B in Nigeria, including Oyo State. Previous work has mainly examined causative factors, offering limited focus on approaches such as Disease Education (DE). This study assessed the effect of disease education on knowledge and attitude toward hepatitis B among in-school adolescents in Oyo State, Nigeria.
Method: A pretest–posttest control group quasi-experimental design was used. The 123 participants were assigned to experimental (n = 78) and control (n = 45) groups. The experimental group received an 8-week intervention guided by the intervention manual, while the control group receive no intervention. Data were collected using validated tools: the Knowledge of Hepatitis B Test (r = 0.79) and the Attitude toward Hepatitis B scale (r = 0.71). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance at the 0.05 significance level.
Result: Among 123 participants, 65.9% were female, with a mean age of 18.23± 1.34 years. There was a statistically significant main effect of the intervention on Hepatitis B knowledge (F(1,115) = 1205.23, partial η² = 0.91). DE participants (x̄ = 31.74) outperformed the control group (x̄ = 20.40). The intervention also had a significant effect on attitude (F(1,115) = 2856.05, partial η² = 0.96). DE participants (x̄ = 40.57) showed more positive attitudes than controls (x̄ = 28.90).
Conclusion: Disease education intervention significantly improved knowledge and attitudes towards hepatitis B. Inclusive health education interventions are effective for in-school adolescents with hearing impairment.