Assessment of hepatitis C risk factors in center of Iran: A case-control study
Faramarz Shahriari-Fard1, Sayed Moayed Alavian1, Ziba Farajzadegan2
1Baghiatallah Research Center of Gastroentrology and Liver Diseases, Baghiatallah University of Medical Scienes, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection risk is significantly higher in males, those with low education, and individuals with a history of intravenous drug use or tattooing. These preventable factors highlight key areas for HCV prevention strategies in Iran.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a significant global public health challenge.
- Understanding risk factors is crucial for effective prevention and control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze potential risk factors associated with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
- To investigate these factors in a specific cohort of Iranian patients.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- 436 HCV-infected patients and 531 HCV antibody-negative controls were recruited in central Iran.
- Data on sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors were collected and compared.
Main Results:
- Male gender, illiteracy or low education, history of intravenous drug addiction, and tattooing were significantly associated with increased HCV infection risk.
- Multivariable logistic regression identified these factors as independent predictors of HCV positivity.
Conclusions:
- Socioeconomic factors (education, economic status, ethnicity) and behavioral factors (drug abuse, tattooing, needle sharing) are significant contributors to HCV infection in Iran.
- The identified risk factors are largely preventable, emphasizing the need for targeted public health interventions.
- Further research and focused prevention efforts are recommended to curb HCV transmission.
Background:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections remain as one of the major public health problems worldwide. The current study aimed at investigating the potential risk factors of HCV+ in a sample of Iranian patients.
Materials And Methods:
In a case-control study, 436 HCV-infected patients and 531 age-matched HCV antibody negative controls were recruited in a central region of Iran. Sociodemographic characteristics, blood and therapeutic factors, underlying diseases, and behavioral risk factors were evaluated through a standard checklist and compared between two study groups.
Results:
Although among studied potential risk factors, many of them were significantly associated with infected with HCV; however, in multivariable logistic regression model in the presence of other variables being male gender (odds ratio [OR]: 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2-7.8), illiterate or less educated (OR: 62.64; 95% CI: 5.94-660.35), having history of intravenous (IV) drug addiction (OR: 33.0; 95% CI: 5.43-250.0), and tattooing (OR: 14.29; 95% CI: 1.82-90.91) increased risk of infection with HCV.
Conclusion:
In total, the current case-control study documented that socioecomical factors including economical state, marital status, education, and ethnicity and also other expected factors such as hospitalization, imprisonment, dialysis, tattooing, needle sharing, IV drug abuse, and extramarital sexual relationship represent an important source of HCV infection among adults in a central region of Iran. Thus, we suggest further considerations for prevention of HCV infection as most of related factors are preventable by close considerations.
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