The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Dwellers in A Peri-Urban District of Ghana: A Cross Sectional Study
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Date
2018
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UDS PUBLISHING LIMITED
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant health issue affecting about 296 million people worldwide.
The disease is of great public health concern in Ghana as the country is within the endemic region of HBV
infection. This study sought to determine the prevalence of HBV infection and associated risk factors
among dwellers in a peri-urban district of Ghana. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in
the Sunyani West District of the Bono Region of Ghana. Respondents aged ≥18 years were purposively
recruited from the four major towns in the District with health centres. A questionnaire was used to collect
data from participants, and a rapid diagnostic test for the sero-presence or otherwise of hepatitis B infection
was conducted. A total of 992 respondents took part in the study, with the prevalence of HBV infection
using HBsAg as a marker among all the study participants being 2.9% (male 4.0% (12/298), female 2.5%
(17/694)). Females aged between 20-29 years had a comparatively higher prevalence of hepatitis B infection
than their corresponding males. The intake of alcohol (RR=4.23; 95% CI:2.05-8.74, p <0.000), previously
diagnosed of having a sexually transmitted disease (RR= 2.43; 95% CI: 1.03-5.71, p = .04) and having
multiple sexual partners (RR= 2.27; 95% CI: 1.11-4.65, p = .02) were the significant risk factors for HBV
infection among the study participants. The study showed a low prevalence of HBV infection in the Sunyani
West District of Ghana using HBsAg as a serum marker to diagnose the infection.
Description
This article is published by UDS Publishing Limited and is also available at DOI: https://doi.org/10.54106/215.jmbs7z
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Citation
Journal of Medical and Biomedical Sciences (2021) 8(2): 12-20