Association between awareness of government notification and ‘negative hepatitis virus test result card’ and implementation of hepatitis B and C screening in Japanese workplaces: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Background ‘Request for cooperation on measures against viral hepatitis in the workplace’ (the notification) was issued to provide hepatitis screening opportunities in workplaces. However, employees may take hepatitis tests multiple times because the results are not recognised. ‘Negative hepatitis virus test result cards’ (NHVC), designed to certify negative results for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) tests, were developed to decrease multiple screenings. We aimed to examine the association between word awareness of the notification/NHVC, and hepatitis testing opportunities provided by employers, as well as the knowledge regarding hepatitis and the presence of employees with HBV/HCV infection. Methods An online questionnaire survey was conducted in Japan in March 2024 among executives and human resources personnel. Having or lacking word awareness of the notification/NHVC was defined as responding as ‘know about it/heard of it’ or ‘never heard of it’ to these items. The number of employees with opportunities for hepatitis testing, number of employees with HBV/HCV, and number of correct answers in hepatitis quizzes were assessed. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression to examine associations of word awareness of the notification/NHVC with providing hepatitis testing and hepatitis quiz answers, while examining the association of employees with HBV/HCV with word awareness of the notification/NHVC. Results Respondents ( n = 1,500) with word awareness of the notification/NHVC had higher odds of providing hepatitis testing opportunities (notification: OR: 9.63, 95% CI: 7.34–12.6 and NHVC: 10.8, 8.12–14.4) and correct responses (OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.49–2.34 and 1.45, 1.15–1.83, respectively) compared to those who were unaware, after adjusting for occupation (executives/human resources personnel) and company size. Respondents with employees with HBV/HCV were more likely to be word-aware of the notification /NHVC than those without such employees (OR: 6.42, 95% CI: 4.62–8.93 and 4.9, 3.59–6.68, respectively). Conclusions Word awareness of the notification/NHVC was positively associated with hepatitis testing, correct responses, and the presence of employees with HBV/HCV in companies. It also aided in identifying workplaces with greater engagement in hepatitis testing. Future studies should investigate barriers to hepatitis screening and relevant interventions.