A study on the prevalence and the risk factors of hepatitis B virus infection in Kurdistan Region, Iraq: A multicenter study

Abstract

Objectives:The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of HBV infection and investigate the HBV-related risk factors in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Methods: Sera samples were collected from 3423 patients visiting three centers and tested for HBV positivity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A questionnaire was prepared and used by the volunteers who collected data, including age, marital status, and different HBV-related risk factors, through face-to-face interviews. Results:The mean age of the recruited participants was 28.94 ± 11.17 years. In addition, 873/3423 (25.47%) were males, and 3024/3423 (88.34%) were married. Furthermore, HBV infection had a prevalence of 1.37% (47/3243). Multivariate analysis was conducted to identify the predictive factors of HBV infection, which revealed that a history of tattoos and age were predictive factors (P < 0.05). We then stratified our data according to sex. No association was found between the various factors and HBV positivity in males. On the other hand, in females, a significant association was found between the history of tattoos or age and HBV positivity (P < 0.05). Conclusion:In conclusion, the prevalence of HBV infection was low. Our study showed that a history of tattooing and older age were predictive of HBV infection. Our results could be used as a basis for local elimination programs.

Hepatitis B vaccination status and knowledge, attitude, and practice towards Hepatitis B virus among medical sciences students: A cross-sectional study

“…Lack of education about the knowledge of Hepatitis B virus aids in increasing the disease. There are also high-risk factors in Duhok City, including drug users sharing contaminated needles, sexual encounters with infected people, and healthcare staff [ 10 , 11 ].…”

Gender differences in Pornography Use and Associated Factors among high school students: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The rate of rape and violence in the world also increase in those consuming pornography about 30% (10). The rate of sexually transmitted diseases and hepatitis virus in the world including Iraq also increases among different age groups and gender [14–19]…”

“…The rate of rape and violence in the world also increase in those consuming pornography about 30% (10). The rate of sexually transmitted diseases and hepatitis virus in the world including Iraq also increases among different age groups and gender [14][15][16][17][18][19] Many studies have been conducted in Kurdistan Iraq about sexually transmitted diseases including infection causing problem in Genital tract [20][21][22][23][24] but there is no study about pornography. Despite the increase in pornography consumption during the last decade, pornography viewing differs in accordance with gender and age group [25].…”