Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of alcohol consumption and identify the sociodemographic factors associated with alcohol consumption among individuals with hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection. We used data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, a nationwide survey conducted between 2007 and 2011. “Monthly alcohol consumption” was defined as having consumed alcohol at least once per month during the past year, and “high-risk alcohol consumption” was defined as having consumed alcohol twice or more per week and, for males, having consumed at least 60 g of alcohol on one occasion or, for females, having consumed at least 40 g of alcohol on more than one occasion. The prevalence of monthly alcohol consumption was 53.2%, and that of high-risk alcohol consumption was 11.8% among HBV carriers. Less education was associated with both monthly and high-risk alcohol consumption(OR = 1.75 [95% CI = 1.02−3.02] for monthly alcohol consumption among those with less than a high school education; OR = 2.48 [95% CI = 1.19−5.17] for high-risk alcohol consumption among those with less than a high school education and OR = 2.02 [95% CI = 1.12−3.64] among those with a high school education). Additionally, smoking and being male increased the risk of alcohol consumption, and older age and having a normal body mass index decreased the risk. HBV carriers who were less educated, overweight, and smokers were more likely to consume alcohol or meet criteria for high-risk drinking. Health policies and intervention programs aimed at promoting a generally healthy lifestyle in HBV carriers should consider educational inequalities and alcohol consumption.
Highlights
IntroductionWorldwide, more than 2 billion people are infected with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and that 378 million are chronic carriers
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global public health issue
This study found that 53.2% of HBV carriers consumed alcohol on a monthly basis and that 11.8% of this group met criteria for high-risk alcohol consumption, but these figures did not significantly differ from those for HBV non-carriers
Summary
Worldwide, more than 2 billion people are infected with HBV and that 378 million are chronic carriers. About 4.5 million new HBV infections develop worldwide each year; about one-quarter of these progress to further liver disease and approximately 600,000 individuals die of HBV-related causes each year [1]. The disease burden of HBV infection is especially high in Asian countries. About 75% of chronic HBV carriers reside in the Asia–Pacific region, and 15– 25% die of HBV-related liver diseases [2]. People who are chronically infected with HBV are at high risk of developing lifethreatening chronic diseases, such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [3]. HCC accounts for 70–85% of primary liver cancer cases [4], which is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of death from cancer worldwide [5]
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