Poor criterion validity of self‐reported hepatitis B infection and vaccination status among injecting drug users: A review

Abstract

Self-reported histories should not be used in lieu of serological testing when assessing infection history or immunisation status. Poor criterion validity also indicates that self-reports of HBV infection status should not be used to estimate the prevalence and incidence of this infection. Due to their low sensitivity, self-reports of HBV infection should at best be considered only as a lower bound prevalence estimate.

Determinants of suboptimal hepatitis B vaccine uptake among men in the Republic of Korea: where should our efforts be focused: results from cross-sectional study

“…Previous studies have reported different results regarding the reliability of self-reported vaccination history. Some suggested that self-reported vaccination history and personal information are reliable in that they are consistent with the health information documented in medical records [28,29] but a study have found opposite results [30]. Information bias may have led to inaccurate information about vaccination status.…”

Hepatitis A and B among young persons who inject drugs—Vaccination, past, and present infection

“…However, knowing which individuals to vaccinate is complicated by the possibility that they could have already been vaccinated for both hepatitis A and B, either during infancy or childhood depending on their U.S. state of residence and date of birth, or due to their risk behaviors [11][12][13][14]. One way to determine vaccination status of individual PWID is to ask them if they've been vaccinated; however, studies on self-report of hepatitis B vaccination in PWID show poor prediction of actual serologic status, either because their memory of what vaccines they received in childhood is poor and they lack documentation of childhood vaccinations or their titers waned over time [17]. Limited studies examining self-report of hepatitis A vaccine among PWID are available.…”

Hepatitis B virus exposure and vaccination in a cohort of people who inject drugs: What has been the impact of targeted free vaccination?

“…Despite the availability of an effective three‐dose HBV vaccine since 1982, coverage among PWID is low, leaving them vulnerable to infection . Many Australian PWID are unaware of the availability of hepatitis B tests or vaccination and around half do not know their true HBV status . Several studies have also identified multiple missed opportunities for vaccination during contact with prisons, drug treatment centers or other primary or tertiary health centers …”