Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and factors associated among pregnant women in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection is a major public health problem among pregnant women worldwide. Hepatitis B virus is highly infectious and is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality among pregnant women, and evidence is scarce on the pooled seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus in Ethiopia. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the pooled seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus infection and factors associated with pregnant women in Ethiopia. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis was employed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews. Data sources: Searches were carried out in biomedical databases such as PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Hinari, and the Cochrane Library published in English until June 2023. Methods: Observational study designs were selected. Endnote citation manager was used to collect and organize the search outcomes and remove duplicate articles. The data were extracted using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and exported to STATA 16.0 software for the analysis. Results: A total of 48 research articles were included in the final analysis. The pooled estimated sero prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia was 5.78% (95% confidence interval = 5.14, 6.43). History of abortion (odds ratio = 6.56, 95% confidence interval = 4.88, 8.90), history of blood transfusion (odds ratio = 5.74, 95% confidence interval = 4.04, 8.16), history of hospitalization (odds ratio = 5.40, 95% confidence interval = 3.68, 7.94), history of multiple sexual partner (odds ratio = 5.80, 95% confidence interval = 3.71, 9.05), history of surgical procedure (odds ratio = 7.39, 95% confidence interval = 4.16, 13.14), history of tattooing (odds ratio = 4.59, 95% confidence interval = 2.83, 7.43), and history of tooth extraction (odds ratio = 4.46, 95% confidence interval = 2.42, 8.22) were significantly associated with hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Conclusion: The overall pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Ethiopia is relatively high. Having a history of abortion, blood transfusion, hospitalization, multiple sexual partners, surgical procedures, tattooing, and tooth extraction were found to be risk factors for hepatitis B virus. Therefore, extensive screening programs for hepatitis B virus in all pregnant women in Ethiopia are needed to prevent further infection and decrease the vertical transmission caused by the disease. Registration number: PROSPERO CRD: 42023438522

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The reported range of HBV infection among pregnant women in Africa varies from 9% to 20% [ 8 ]. These results similar with a meta-analysis conducted in Nigeria (6.49%) [ 32 ], Ethiopia (5.78%) [ 60 ] and (7.4%) [ 62 ], a cross-sectional study conducted in Khartoum, Sudan(7.5%) [ 18 ], a retrospective review of pregnant women in Ghana (6%) [ 17 ], Wolaita Sodo in southern Ethiopia (7.5%) [ 63 ], Deder Hospital in Eastern Ethiopia (6.9%) [ 64 ], and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (6%) [ 65 ]. However, our findings are lower than the prevalence rates reported in a meta-analysis study in Nigeria (9.5%) [ 22 ], Kenya (9.3%) [ 19 ], Cameroon (11.2%) [ 66 ], a cross-sectional study in Nigeria (10.9%) [ 67 ], Northwest Ethiopia (8%) [ 5 ], and Tigray in Ethiopia (11.6%) [ 68 ].…”

“…Among the various viruses that cause hepatitis, HBV is responsible for both acute and chronic infections. It is the most prevalent and severe liver infection globally, leading to significant morbidity and mortality [ 8 , 9 , 60 ]. However, there is limited documentation regarding the national prevalence of hepatitis B infection among pregnant women.…”