Vaccination Coverage and Awareness on Hepatitis B Virus Among High School, College, and University Students of Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes hepatitis B, a vaccine‐preventable liver disease. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes toward HBV and its vaccination among students of the Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. Methods In this cross‐sectional survey, data were collected by filling out a well‐structured questionnaire. SPSS (IBM version 23), chi‐square ( χ 2 ) tests, and a binary logistic regression model were used for the data analysis. Results A binary logistic regression model showed that a significantly lower rate of vaccination status was observed among participants from the university (44.44%) than those from college (42.11%) and high school (86.3%) [OR = 1.917, 95% CI = 0.752–17.869, p = 0.001]. A higher proportion of male students (58.88%) remained unvaccinated compared to female students (43.1%) [OR = 1.435, 95% CI = 1.253–1.873, p = 0.027]. Regarding the knowledge of HBV and its vaccination, university students had better knowledge than high school students ( p > 0.05). Conclusion The results of the study clearly highlight the need to increase awareness among this group of people about HBV and its vaccination to eradicate its infection from the community.