Hepatitis B and C seroprevalence among residents in Lagos State, Nigeria: A population-based survey.

Background: Hepatitis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. It is often caused by hepatitis B and C, which are both preventable and treatable. Available information on Hepatitis B and C in Nigeria is based primarily on estimates obtained from specific population sub-groups or hospital-based surveys leaving gaps in population-level knowledge, attitudes, and prevalence. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and associated factors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections amongst residents of Lagos State. Methodology: This was a community-based descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in all the 20 local government areas of Lagos state using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaires. Blood samples were taken (pinprick) from respondents (n = 4862) and tested using hepatitis B and C surface antigen tests after obtaining informed consent. Results: The overall prevalence of HBV infection in Lagos State was 2.1% while the prevalence of HCV infection was 0.1%. Only about half of all the respondents (50.9%) had heard about hepatitis B before the survey. Knowledge of the specific symptoms of HBV was also very low. For instance, only 28.1% of the respondents knew that yellowness of the eyes is associated with hepatitis while < 1% (0.1%) knew that HBV infection is associated with the passage of yellow urine. The most common source of information about hepatitis was the radio (13.0%). Only 36.2% of the respondents knew that HBV infection could be prevented. Overall, 28.8% of the respondents were aware of the hepatitis B vaccine. Less than half (40.9%) felt it was necessary to get vaccinated against HBV, however, a similar proportion (41.9%) would want to be vaccinated against HBV. Only 2.5% of all the respondents had ever received HBV vaccines while 3.5% had ever been tested for hepatitis B before this survey. There was a statistically significant association between HBV infection and respondents' use of shared clippers and work exposure involving contact with body parts and body fluids (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The knowledge, awareness and risk perception of HBV infection were low, however, almost half of the residents were willing to receive hepatitis B vaccinations if offered. It is recommended that the population-based prevention programmes and regular community-based surveillance be conducted by the public health department of Lagos State Ministry of Health. In addition, the strengthening of routine immunisation and vaccination of high-risk groups should be prioritised.

Perceived risk and protective behaviors related to COVID-19 among the Nigerian general population: An application of the extended parallel process model.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there have been heightened levels of fear worldwide. The steadily increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria as reported by the Nigerian center for Disease Control has led to different behavioral responses influenced by perceived threat and efficacy. This study aimed to understand the levels of perceived threat and efficacy to COVID-19 in Nigeria across various demographic groups using the Extended Parallel Process Model. This was a cross-sectional study conducted across all states in Nigeria, between May and June 2020. The majority of respondents were recruited via social media, with a smaller fraction interviewed face to face due to Government restrictions on movement in some states. Based on findings, respondents had high exposure to COVID-19 messages on social media (85%), followed by television (67%), radio (54%), and the Nigeria center for Disease Control short message services (52%). High exposure to COVID-19 messages across all media platforms was significantly associated with perceived severity, response efficacy, and self-efficacy (p< 0.01). Also, with an increase in age, there was a corresponding increase in the perceived susceptibility to COVID-19. As the level of education increased, respondents' perceived severity, susceptibility, self-efficacy, and response efficacy to COVID-19 increased. A chi-square test between demographic variables and intermediate outcome variables (danger or fear control process) showed a significant association with age, gender, highest educational level, and employment type. From the findings, the majority of respondents were less likely to practice the recommended protective behaviors as COVID-19 was not perceived as a threat. The proportion of the Nigerian population willing to take up recommended preventive behaviors were just 15%. Developing messages with an appropriate balance between threat and efficacy to target different audiences would likely encourage the adoption and practice of recommended COVID-19 preventive behaviors.