Abstract:Background: Majority of secondary school students are adolescents; an age group with a tendency to engage in healthcompromising risky behaviours in order to deal with anxiety and gain admission to peer groups. This exposes them to risk of Hepatitis B virus infection which is a major public health concern globally and in Nigeria.Objectives: This study focuses on some common risky behavioural practices that characterize the lifestyle of contemporary adolescent subculture; with a view to determining their effect on HBsAg seroprevalence. Method: Using multi-stage sampling method, 266 students were selected from 5 secondary schools in Abakaliki. Each subject first filled a questionnaire regarding biodata and history of exposure to risk factors. Subsequently, they were screened for HBsAg using enzyme immunoassay-based chromatographic test kit. Results:Nine students out of 266 tested positive giving a prevalence value of 3.38%. There was no significant association between gender (p = 0.31) or socioeconomic status (p = 0.81) and the seroprevalence of HBsAg among the subjects. Similarly, none of the risk factors studied, including previous history of jaundice (p = 0.26), blood transfusion (p = 0.24), past history of surgery (p = 0.47), scarification marks (p = 0.17), sharing of sharp objects (p = 0.74), drug injections (p = 0.32), unprotected sex (p = 0.64) and family history of hepatitis (p = 0.79), was significantly associated with HBV infection. Conclusion: None of the risk factors assessed played significant role in the transmission of HBV among secondary school students in Abakaliki.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.