JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Many studies find associations between hepatitis B and stigma, but studies from the Western European context are lacking. Based on available studies, we hypothesized that younger age, higher education, male gender, higher privacy needs, and non-German mother tongue were positively associated with perceived hepatitis B-related stigma.

Objective:

This study aims to describe the prevalence of perceived social stigma among Hepatitis B patients in Germany and to assess what factors are associated with perceptions of HBV-related stigma.

Methods:

Applying the short version of the Berger stigma scale, we surveyed 195 hepatitis B patients about their perceptions of hepatitis B-related stigma, privacy needs, and demographic variables through a paper-based questionnaire in German. Venue-based recruitment of adult patients diagnosed with acute or chronic hepatitis B was implemented at three clinical centres in Germany. Patients who could not read German were excluded from the study.

Results:

From the 195 valid questionnaires, 45.1% of participants identified as female, 36.6% had a high school diploma, and 56.9% reported a mother tongue other than German. The mean stigma score throughout the sample was 5.52 (min 0, max 24) and the median was 3.00. Regression analysis revealed that non-German mother tongue, individual data privacy needs, and participants' secrecy regarding their hepatitis B diagnosis independently predicted perceived stigma. More precisely, the higher the data privacy need and the more secret the hepatitis B diagnosis, the higher the perceived stigma, and perceived stigma was higher for patients with non-German mother tongue. Age, gender, and education were no predictors of perceived stigma.

Conclusions:

The surveyed hepatitis B patients in Germany reported lower levels of hepatitis B-related stigma than found in other studies conducted in Asian countries. The association with non-German mother tongue indicates an important cultural and social component in the perception of stigma. Community-based interventions and the sensibilization of healthcare professionals might help overcome perceptions of stigma among hepatitis B-affected populations.