Prevalence of HCV Infection Among Clients in Community-Based Health Settings in Hawaii, 2002–2010: Assessing Risk Factors
Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine the prevalence of HCV infection and identify risk factors associated with HCV infection among at-risk clients presenting to community-based health settings in Hawaii. METHODS: Clients from 23 community-based sites were administered risk factor questionnaires and screened for HCV antibodies from December 2002 through May 2010. We performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Of 3306 participants included in the analysis, 390 (11.8%) tested antibody positive for HCV. Highest HCV antibody prevalence (17.0%) was in persons 45 to 64 years old compared with all other age groups. Significant independent risk factors were current or prior injection drug use (P < .001), blood transfusion prior to July 1992 (P = .002), and having an HCV-infected sex partner (P = .03). Stratification by gender revealed sexual exposure to be significant for males (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite Hawaii's ethnic diversity, high hepatocellular carcinoma incidence, and a statewide syringe exchange program in place since the early 1990s, our HCV prevalence and risk factor findings are remarkably consistent with those reported from the mainland United States. Hence, effective interventions identified from US mainland population studies should be generalizable to Hawaii.
Institutions: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Hawaii System
Language: English
Topic: Hepatitis C virus research
Subfield: Hepatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1968177099