title: Factors associated with hepatitis C knowledge among a sample of treatment naive people who inject drugs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Assessment and uptake of treatment for hepatitis C among people who inject drugs (PWID) is low and strategies to enhance hepatitis C care in this group are needed. Knowledge of hepatitis C and its treatment is one precursor to decisions about treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-section study designed to evaluate treatment considerations in participants with self-reported hepatitis C infection in New South Wales, Australia. Participants were recruited from needle and syringe programs, opiate substitution clinics, pharmacies that dispensed opiate substitution treatment and from the mailing list of a community-based hepatitis C organisation and completed a self-administered survey. Knowledge of hepatitis C was assessed by a 48-item scale addressing the natural history and treatment of hepatitis C. Factors associated with knowledge were assessed by ordinal regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 997 participants recruited, 407 self-reported acquiring hepatitis C through injecting drug use and had never received hepatitis C treatment. Knowledge about hepatitis C was overall poor and the effects of the long term consequences of hepatitis C were over-estimated. Higher knowledge scores were associated with recruitment site, higher education levels and recent contact with a general practitioner. One-third of participants indicated that they did not intend to have treatment and one-fifth did not answer this question.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge is a precursor to informed decisions about hepatitis C treatment. These results indicate that efforts to support those less engaged with hepatitis C care (and specifically those on opiate substitution treatment) and those with lower literacy are required.
authors.affiliation: National Centre in HIV Social Research, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia. c.treloar@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Treloar
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hopwood
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grebely
authors.forename: Yvonna
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lavis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D055030:Drug Users; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment; D010594:Pharmacies; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation