Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
J Viral Hepat. 2013 Oct;20(10):708-14. doi: 10.1111/jvh.12095. Epub 2013 Apr 1.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment is rapidly changing but little is known about patients' attitudes and knowledge about HCV. This study used a cross-sectional survey to examine the relationship between HCV knowledge and attitudes towards HCV in patients with HCV mono-infection and HIV/HCV co-infection. Subsequently, an education intervention was developed with an abridged version of the cross-sectional survey administered before and after the education session to assess changes in knowledge and attitudes. 292 people participated in the cross-sectional survey, and 87 people participated in the education intervention. In the cross-sectional survey, the mean knowledge score regarding HCV was low (<50% of the total possible score). Mono-infected and co-infected individuals shared similar knowledge deficits and attitudes towards HCV despite having distinct demographic differences. Attitudes endorsed by patients included the following: 57% feared the consequences of HCV on their life, 37% felt HCV was not fatal, 27% did not believe they needed HCV medication, 21% felt ashamed of having HCV and 16% felt HCV treatment was not important. Attitudes that reflected indifference and shame towards HCV were associated with lower knowledge scores (HCV knowledge score of 15.1 vs. 17.5, P < 0.01 for indifference and 15.3 vs. 17.2 for shame, P = 0.02). The education intervention improved knowledge scores but did not modify the assessed attitudes. Intervention studies are needed to effectively change attitudes towards HCV infection and treatment.
丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）的治疗方法正在迅速改变，但人们对患者对 HCV 的态度和认知知之甚少。本研究采用横断面调查，研究了 HCV 单感染和 HIV/HCV 共感染患者的 HCV 知识与对 HCV 的态度之间的关系。随后，开发了一个教育干预措施，采用横断面调查的简化版在教育课程前后进行管理，以评估知识和态度的变化。共有 292 人参加了横断面调查，87 人参加了教育干预。在横断面调查中，关于 HCV 的平均知识得分较低（总分的 50%以下）。尽管存在明显的人口统计学差异，但单感染和共感染个体对 HCV 的知识缺陷和态度相似。患者支持的态度包括以下内容：57%的人担心 HCV 对他们生活的影响，37%的人认为 HCV 不会致命，27%的人认为他们不需要 HCV 药物，21%的人对 HCV 感到羞耻，16%的人认为 HCV 治疗不重要。对 HCV 持漠不关心和羞耻的态度与较低的知识得分相关（对 HCV 漠不关心的 HCV 知识得分 15.1 对 17.5，P <0.01；对 HCV 感到羞耻的 HCV 知识得分 15.3 对 17.2，P = 0.02）。教育干预提高了知识得分，但没有改变评估的态度。需要进行干预研究，以有效改变对 HCV 感染和治疗的态度。
