Factors Associated with Hepatitis C Antibody Positivity in Korean Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on 2013-2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Taehui Kim,Jiyoung Kim

doi:10.3390/healthcare9101366

Abstract

This study aimed to provide basic data on the prevention of hepatitis C infection by identifying factors related to it based on the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). The sixth (2013–2015) and seventh (2016–2018) Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted by the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency were analyzed. This is a population-based, nationally representative, multistage, cross-sectional survey of noninstitutionalized persons in Korea. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the significance of the variables. A total of 32,942 persons aged >20 years were selected for this study. Among them, 282 tested positive for hepatitis C antibodies, while 32,660 tested negative. Of the 282 persons who tested positive, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women. The factors associated with hepatitis C infection were age, education level, self-rated health status, and liver cirrhosis. Therefore, there is a need to educate people and implement preventive programs based on age and education levels to reduce the incidence of hepatitis C infections. In addition, it is necessary to include hepatitis C screening as part of the National Health Examination to diagnose hepatitis C infections.

Highlights

Hepatitis C is one of the most common blood-associated infections
The hepatitis C antibody positivity rate was 0.86%, and it increased with age; 43.8% of them were over 60 years of age, and there was a significant difference between the hepatitis C antibody-positive and -negative groups (χ2 = 97.437, p < 0.001)
Our study reveals the differences between the past and present risk factors associated with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections

Summary

Introduction

Hepatitis C is one of the most common blood-associated infections. It is estimated that 71 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis C infection, accounting for 1% of the global population [1]. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may be acute, and 80% of these cases progress into chronic hepatitis [2]. Chronic hepatitis patients undergo disease progression and develop cirrhosis, liver fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, which eventually lead to death [2,3]. North America, north and west European countries, Australia, and Japan have the lowest prevalence of HCV infections (less than 2%), while Africa and Middle Eastern countries have a prevalence of over 10% [4]. The number of HCV infected persons in

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