Table 3. Association between knowledge items about transmission and natural history of hepatitis C virus and hepatitis C-related stigma.
| Knowledge Item | Proportion Correct | Mean HCV Stigma Score | Difference | P > |t| | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answered Incorrectly | Answered Correctly | (β [95% CI]) | |||
| 1. If someone is infected with hepatitis C virus, they will most likely carry the virus all their lives. | 101 (38.11%) | 72.88 | 79.94 | 7.06 | 0.003 |
| (69.98, 75.78) | (76.25, 83.63) | (2.37, 11.76) | |||
| 2. Infection with the hepatitis C virus can cause the liver to stop working. | 245 (92.45%) | 65.70 | 76.38 | 10.68 | 0.016 |
| (57.36, 74.04) | (73.99, 78.76) | (1.99, 19.35) | |||
| 3. Someone with hepatitis C can look and feel fine. | 255 (96.23%) | 67.40 | 75.89 | 8.49 | 0.169 |
| (55.51, 79.29) | (73.54, 78.24) | (-3.63, 20.61) | |||
| 4. You can get hepatitis C by getting a blood transfusion from an infected donor. | 249 (93.96%) | 74.75 | 75.62 | 0.87 | 0.860 |
| (65.32, 84.18) | (73.23, 78.01) | (-8.86, 10.60) | |||
| 5. You can get hepatitis C by shaking hands with someone who has hepatitis C. | 252 (95.09%) | 84.38 | 75.12 | -9.27 | 0.088 |
| (73.98, 94.79) | (72.75, 77.48) | (-19.94, 1.40) | |||
| 6. You can get hepatitis C by kissing someone who has hepatitis C. | 190 (71.70%) | 78.49 | 74.42 | -4.08 | 0.118 |
| (74.16, 82.83) | (71.69, 77.14) | (-9.19, 1.04) | |||
| 7. You can get hepatitis C by having sex with someone who has hepatitis C. | 226 (85.28%) | 69.82 | 76.56 | 6.74 | 0.042 |
| (63.83, 75.81) | (74.07, 79.05) | (0.25, 13.23) | |||
| 8. You can get hepatitis C by being born to a woman who had hepatitis C when she gave birth. | 212 (80.00%) | 70.38 | 76.87 | 6.49 (0.75, | 0.027 |
| (65.24, 75.51) | (74.30, 79.44) | 12.23) | |||
| 9. You can get hepatitis C by being stuck with a needle or sharp instrument that has hepatitis C infected blood on it. | 257 (96.98%) | 66.75 | 75.84 | 9.09 | 0.186 |
| (53.45, 80.05) | (73.49, 78.19) | (-4.41, 22.59) | |||
| 10. You can get hepatitis C by working with someone who has hepatitis C. | 241 (90.94%) | 83.33 | 74.79 | -8.54 | 0.037 |
| (75.69, 90.97) | (72.39, 77.21) | (-16.55, -0.53) | |||
| 11. You can get hepatitis C by injecting illegal drugs, even if only a few times. | 232 (87.55%) | 69.97 | 76.37 | 6.39 | 0.072 |
| (63.44, 76.49) | (73.90, 78.83) | (-0.58, 13.37) | |||
True items are highlighted in grey; false items are white. For each item, the beta coefficient represents the difference in mean stigma score for a correct answer, compared to an incorrect answer; mean stigma scores for correct and incorrect answers are presented. Bolded results indicate a significant difference in stigma score (P < 0.05) between those who answered the item correctly versus incorrectly.
Abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; HCV = hepatitis C Virus.