Burden of Hepatitis B and C Infection According to Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

Objective: To determine the burden of hepatitis B and C infection according to socioeconomic status.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at medicine department of Peoples University of Medical and Health science study duration was 1 year from March 2016 to February 2017. All the hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infected patients with all age groups either gender were included in the study. All the selected patients were interviewed regarding history of previous surgeries, needle pricking history, tattooing, barber’s shaving and birth history to know the suspected transmitted risk factors. All the patients were also interviewed regarding socioeconomic status. All the data was recorded in predesigned proforma.
Results: Total 200 cases were studied, most of the cases 110(55.0%) were found with age group of 31-45 years. Male were most common in this study 120(60.0%). Almost all of the male patients had a history of barber shaving, on other hand extra uses of needles/syringes were most common in both male and female as 125(63.5%) out of total study population. Hepatitis C infection was most common at 71.0%, hepatitis infection was 23.5%, while only 5.5% patients were with co-infection of HCV and HBV. The poor population is mostly infected by hepatitis B and C 48.0%. Patients having poor socioeconomic status were found significantly associated with hepatitis C infection p-value 0.001. No significant difference was in hepatitis B infection according to socioeconomic status p-value 0.282.
Conclusion: It is concluded that poor socioeconomic status was significantly associated with hepatitis C infection. Socioeconomic status not a direct risk factor of hepatitis B and C, but it is significantly responsible to develop the other risk factors.