Factors Influencing Hepatitis C Virus Sero-prevalence among Blood Donors in North West Pakistan

Hepatitis C virus infection is a major health problem worldwide. The current study estimated seroprevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and evaluated associated factors among volunteer blood donors of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. Of 1,131 volunteer blood donors enrolled, 46 (4.1%...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of public health policy 2008-07, Vol.29 (2), p.207-225
Main Authors: Khattak, Muhammad Naeem, Akhtar, Saeed, Mahmud, Sadia, Roshan, Tariq Mahmood
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Blood donors
Blood Donors - statistics & numerical data
Cross-Sectional Studies
Equality and Human Rights
Health Education
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C - epidemiology
Humans
Male
Medical Sociology
Middle Aged
Pakistan
Pakistan - epidemiology
Public awareness
Public Health
Risk Factors
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Social Justice
Social Policy
Social Sciences
Socioeconomic Factors
Sociology
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Summary:Hepatitis C virus infection is a major health problem worldwide. The current study estimated seroprevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and evaluated associated factors among volunteer blood donors of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. Of 1,131 volunteer blood donors enrolled, 46 (4.1%) were positive for anti-HCV antibodies. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that positive donors were more likely to be 27–32 years old or >32 years old, have had 1–2 injections or >2 injections in the past year, or 1–5 intravenous (IV) drips or >5 I/V drips in the past 5 years. Positive donors had a family history of jaundice and were more likely to have been shaved (facial and armpit) by barbers. There was high prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among blood donors of the NWFP. Public awareness programs should target the identified risk factors to prevent HCV transmission. We highlight the weakness of the health care system for blood donation, as it does not offer any record management for donors.
ISSN:0197-5897
1745-655X
DOI:10.1057/jphp.2008.7