Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis B infection in rural communities: a cross-sectional analysis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a highly contagious preventable liver disease with high mortality rates across the world. HBV is endemic in Ghana, yet screening for early detection and treatment of the condition is a challenge. This study assessed the prevalence and associated risk factors of HBV infection in rural communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

This is a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data from 218 participants. The participants were classified into 2 groups-HBV negative and positive groups. Fisher Exact and Chi Square analysis were used to evaluate association between hepatitis B infection status and demographic and clinical characteristics. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate for the risk factors associated with the HBV positive group.

The mean (SD) age of the participants was 39.04(13.65) years, with majority 18-30 years old (30.28%), and 55.50% were farmers. The prevalence of HBV infection was 9.63%. Farmers were less likely associated with risk of HBV infections (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.052-0.529; p = 0.002) than traders. After adjusting for other confounders, participants who had handwork were associated with lower risk of HBV infections (OR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.028-0.738; p = 0.020) than traders. No family history of hepatitis B was associated with lower risk of HBV infections (OR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.021-0.416; p = 0.002) than participants with family history of hepatitis B.

We found high prevalence of HBV infection among rural adults in this study. Associated risk factors identified for transmission of HBV infection in this population included occupation and family history of hepatitis B infection. There is urgent need for the development of context-specific prevention strategies that address both social and household transmission dynamics of HBV in rural communities in Ghana.