article · Journal of Medical Virology
A cross-sectional investigation evaluated the prevalence of hepatitis B virus and its associated risk factors among 328 pregnant women attending antenatal care in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Clinical and socio-demographic details were gathered during visits, and blood serum was analysed for hepatitis B surface antigen. The average participant age was approximately 25.5 years. Laboratory testing revealed an overall infection prevalence of 5.5 percent within the study cohort. Multivariate statistical analysis identified three primary risk factors significantly linked to infection: engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple partners, residing with a family member who has the virus, and having a history of surgical procedures. These findings establish the local infection burden and highlight behavioural, familial, and clinical routes of viral exposure.
Hepatitis B virus remains a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Clarifying local infection rates and transmission risks among pregnant women helps public health authorities and antenatal clinics design targeted screening protocols. Identifying high-risk individuals enables timely clinical care and preventative steps to curb transmission within households and prevent viral spread from mothers to their infants.
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Hepatitis B virus infection is one of the leading causes of liver disease in the world. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of HBV infection and associated risk factors among pregnant women in Northern Ethiopia using a cross-sectional study design. A total of 328 pregnant women were included in this study. Clinical and socio-demographic data of the pregnant women were collected using a structured questionnaire by nurses or midwives during their ANC visit. For the detection of HBsAg, 5 mL of venous blood was collected from the pregnant women; serum was separated in the health facilities from the whole blood and was transported to Tigray Public Health Research Institute for analysis using. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0. (IBM). Association of variables with HBV infection was determined with multivariate analysis and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean age of the study participants was 25.45 ± 5.067. The overall prevalence rate of HBV infection among the pregnant women was 5.5%. A statistical association of HBV infection with risk factors was seen on participants, who were making unprotected sexual practices with multiple partners (AoR = 6.4, 95%CI, 2-21, P = 0.03), on those who had HBV-infected person in their family (AoR = 8, 95%CI, 1-58, P = 0.02), and on those who had undergone surgical procedures (AoR = 6.8, 95%CI, 1-32, P = 0.022).
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DOI: 10.1002/jmv.24987
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