Hepatitis C prevalence in injecting drug users in Europe, 1990–2007: impact of study recruitment setting
Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: Monitoring injecting drug users' (IDUs) health is challenging because IDUs form a difficult to reach population. We examined the impact of recruitment setting on hepatitis C prevalence. Individual datasets from 12 studies were merged. Predictors of HCV positivity were sought through a multilevel analysis using a mixed-effects logistic model, with study identifier as random intercept. HCV prevalence ranged from 21% to 86% across the studies. Overall, HCV prevalence was higher in IDUs recruited in drug treatment centres compared to those recruited in low-threshold settings (74% and 42%, respectively, P < 0·001). Recruitment setting remained significantly associated with HCV prevalence after adjustment for duration of injecting and recent injection (adjusted odds ratio 0·7, 95% confidence interval 0·6-0·8, P = 0·05). Recruitment setting may have an impact on HCV prevalence estimates of IDUs in Europe. Assessing the impact of mixed recruitment strategies, including respondent-driven sampling, on HCV prevalence estimates, would be valuable.
Source: Epidemiology and Infection
Institutions: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, University of Strathclyde, Health Protection Scotland, KU Leuven, Osservatorio Epidemiologico delle Dipendenze, Karolinska Institutet, Narodowy Instytut Zdrowia Publicznego PZH – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht
Language: English
Topic: Hepatitis C virus research
Subfield: Hepatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2091570052