Serological prevalence and predictors of Hepatitis B infection among Adult Patients attending Out-Patient Clinic, General Hospital, Ilorin Kwara State Nigeria.

Abstract

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that is ravaging sub-Sahara African countries including Nigeria.  Several studies have been done on hepatitis B infection among different population groups including pregnant women, blood donors and children but very few have reported findings among primary care adult patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B infection among the primary care patients and the possible associated risk factors.

It was a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study done among adults attending out-patient clinic of the General Hospital Ilorin. A sample size of 338 was estimated with the use of EPI-info 7 statistical software and Enzyme-based immunoassay testing was used to screen for hepatitis B virus infection among the study participants. The sero-prevalence of hepatitis B infection among the study population was 14.5%. Identified risk factors associated with hepatitis B infection in this study were family history of hepatitis B infection, blood transfusion and unsupervised home delivery.

In conclusion, the findings in this study have shown that hepatitis B infection was highly endemic among adult primary care patients. Blood transfusion and unsupervised home deliveries were the predictors of hepatitis B infection among these study participants.