Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection (HBsAg) and associated factors among antenatal clinic attendees in a secondary-level facility in southern Ghana
Date
2024
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health
Abstract
Introduction: Vertical transmission of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is the predominant mode of HBV trans mission in highly endemic settings worldwide where the HBV seroprevalence is above 8%. Newborns who
contract HBV at birth have a higher risk of chronic infections that can result in liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.
Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HBV through screening of pregnant women during the antenatal
period and universal vaccination of newborns are important strategies for eliminating new childhood HBV in fections. This study sought to estimate the prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women in the study area
and to determine the factors associated with a positive HBV disease status. The findings from this study will help
in obtaining a baseline for comparing future trends and identifying risk factors for HBV that need to be elimi nated in southern Ghana.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional hospital-based analytic study in which 225 pregnant women were surveyed
using a semi structured questionnaire. Blood samples were taken and analysed qualitatively for HBsAg. The data
were entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported into STATA version 17 for analysis, with a significance level
set at <0.05.
Results: This study revealed that the seroprevalence of HBV infection (HBsAg positivity) was 8.0% CI (5%–12.4%)
among the pregnant women. The HBV vaccination coverage was 50.2%. Pregnant women with a history of
sexually transmitted diseases were six times more likely to test positive for HBsAg aOR: 6.36 (CI = 0.35–2.92, p
= 0.019). Additionally, women who had received at least one dose of the HBV vaccine had lower odds of having
HBV infection than did those who failed to vaccinate (aOR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.01–0.66, P = 0.020).
Conclusions: The prevalence of HBV infection is relatively high in this population. HBV vaccination and sexually
transmitted infections play significant roles in HBV infection and transmission in the study area. Interventions to
promote HBV vaccination among the adult population as well as among newborns and STI prevention strategies
are needed to reverse the trend of HBV infections in the study area.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Hepatitis B virus, Mother-to-child transmission, Pregnant women