mr Are Socio-Economic Determinants Important for Patient’s Knowledge, Attitude and Practice: Evidence from Hepatitis-C Patients

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis C is one of the commonest and fatal diseases in Pakistan as well as around the World. There were around 17 million people all over Pakistan with infected Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice are important determinants to combat this fatal disease. In this regard, socioeconomic factors including low income, low educational status and inadequate housing conditions may effect on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice. The main objective of this study was to identify the impact of socio-economic determinants on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice.

Methods: The convenient sample technique was used to collect the data of 278 patients of HCV from Hepatitis C Clinic at Social Security Teaching Hospital Multan Road Lahore. Logistic regression was applied to identify the socioeconomic determinants that was crucial important regarding patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice

Results: The results indicate that those patients who had low educational status, low income, unemployed, and inadequate housing conditions had poor performance regarding knowledge, attitude and practices towards Hepatitis C. There was a significant association between socio-economic determinants and its effects on patient’s knowledge, attitude and practice.

Conclusion: Poor knowledge, negative attitude and bad practice towards HCV were the main reasons behind poor socioeconomic determinants. Poor knowledge, bad practices, helpless peoples, low income, low status, inadequate housing conditions and educational status effects on patient’s health.