Small Steps, Big Gains: Impact of Health Promotion in Combating Viral Hepatitis

Background: Medical training in health sector is primarily aimed at holistic development of healthcare workers with respect to change in knowledge, attitude and practice, but the majority of trainings merely evaluate the change in knowledge of the participants after attending the training program. Since knowledge gain is immediate whereas change in attitude and practice requires time. Thus, limited evidence is available with respect to the effect of training on attitude and practice over a period of time.

Aim: To assess the effect of training on modification of attitude and medical practices among nursing professionals at least six months of post-training period.

Methods and Material: A longitudinal study from January 18, 2018 to January 31, 2020 was undertaken among nursing professionals who have taken pre and post-test knowledge assessment and have completed six months of post training period. The link to 28-item questionnaire was shared thrice with the eligible participants. All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Version 22. The statistical significance level considered as p <0.05.

Results: A total of 623 responses were received, of which 534 were included in the final analysis. The median follow-up period for the included participants was 9.4 months (IQR: 8.9–10.3 months). Mean age of the participants was 31.99±7.03years and 68% were females. Approximately 75% agreed that there was a change in their clinical practices with respect to viral hepatitis and approximately 72% unvaccinated individuals got themselves vaccinated post training.

Conclusion: Health promotion through trainings is a pragmatic approach towards combating diseases and achieving sustainable development goals.