Individual and social vulnerabilities to the occurrence of hepatitis A and B in traditional populations of the Paraense Amazon

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatitis A and B are infectious diseases that represent an important public health problem in Brazil. Objective: to analyze the epidemiological profile and possible behavioral and environmental factors that may be related to the occurrence of viral hepatitis A and B in riverside communities located in the Amazon region. Methodology: cross-sectional epidemiological, with a quantitative approach, carried out in the riverside communities of the Paraense Amazon. Results and discussion: The results reveal that the prevalence of hepatitis A and B in this population group is higher than that existing for the entire Brazilian population, it was found that 88.89% of the reported cases were of Hepatitis A and 11.11% of hepatitis B. The majority (53.73%) of the interviewees, never performed the examination for early detection of hepatitis, and part of the 8.96% did not have the vaccines and 35% shared personal objects, such as nail pliers and razors, in addition we have that only about 50% of individuals use contraceptive methods and most use condoms. Final considerations: The riverside populations have satisfactory conditions of basic sanitation, food, a fact that interferes not so much in the quality of life of these individuals, but also leads to a greater susceptibility to the development of health problems.