Objective  To analyze the situation and influencing factors of discrimination against hepatitis B patients among rural adults in Shandong province.

  Methods  Using probability-proportionate-to-size sampling, we recruited a total of 2 894 rural adults more than 18 years old in 14 villages of 4 counties in Shandong province between 2011 and 2012. We conducted a survey among the adults with a self-designed questionnaire to collect information relevant to discrimination against hepatitis B patients among the adults. We adopted logistic regression model in data analyses.

  Results  Of all the participants, 23.67 %, 10.19 %, 7.64 %, and 7.84 % had no knowledge about symptoms, consequences of without treatment, effective therapy, and route of transmission of viral hepatitis B. More than a half (53.84 %) of the participants reported being afraid of contact with hepatitis B patients or hepatitis B virus carriers for the viral infection of themselves. More than two thirds (71.73 %) of the participants demonstrated serious discrimination against hepatitis B patients and only 3.14 % showed no discrimination. The discrimination against hepatitis B patients and hepatitis B virus carriers was influenced mainly by income and fear towards the disease, and the cognition on the transmission route of hepatitis B virus. The majority (61.47 %) of the participants acquired hepatitis B related knowledge via public media and only 3.42 % of them obtained the knowledge via communication with hepatitis B patients.

  Conclusion  Discrimination against hepatitis B patients is prevalent among rural adults in Shandong province and intervention on the discrimination needs to be promoted urgently in the population.