Analysis of the prevalence and factors associated with Hepatitis B infection among adults seeking care at Makeni Government Regional Hospital, Sierra Leone

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of HepaVVs B among adults seeking care at Makeni Regional Hospital, and factors influencing awareness, and aZtudes towards the disease. The significance of this study lies in its potenVal to provide valuable informaVon on the prevalence of HepaVVs B and its risk factors in the study populaVon. This study used a facility-based cross-secVonal design, which involved collecVng data at a single point in Vme from a sample of individuals seeking care at the Makeni Regional Hospital. Blood samples were obtained from parVcipants to evaluate seroprevalence, and quesVonnaires were distributed to collect relevant data. The study included 403 individuals who sought care at Makeni Regional Hospital. SPSS so^ware was used to process, clean, and analyze the acquired data, which included descripVve staVsVcs such as tables and pie charts. The results indicated an esVmated 47% seroprevalence of viral hepaVVs B infecVon among individuals aaending Makeni Regional Hospital. Notably, despite widespread awareness of HepaVVs B infecVon, there were no matching acVons or behavioral changes. A troubling finding was that 64% of the parVcipaVng individuals said that they were engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse and many partnerships, which has been associated with an increased frequency of sexually transmiaed illnesses in previous research. Based on the findings of this study, several recommendaVons can be made to address the high seroprevalence of HBV and to improve public health outcomes. It is crucial to develop and implement comprehensive health educaVon programs in Makeni to raise awareness of the risk factors that contribute to the high prevalence of HBV infecVon. These programs should focus on educaVng the populaVon about the dangers of engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse, mulVple relaVonships, alcohol consumpVon, and smoking.