Seroprevalence and risk factor relationship of hepatitis B core antibody among blood donors in Cañete, Peru

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus is a global public health problem. There has been a growing interest in blood donors with a hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) reactive and negative hepatitis B surface antigen as a marker for occult hepatitis B infection. The aim was to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors related to anti-HBc in blood donors at the Rezola Hospital in Cañete in 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study and sample size were 186 blood donors’ formats. The dependent variable was reactive anti-HBc, and the independent was sex, marital status, and age categories. Bivariate analysis included the Chi-square test, considered statistically significant at P<0.05. In addition, a general linear model was used to estimate prevalence ratios in crude analysis to assess factors associated with the outcome. RESULTS: A total of 202 blood donors were included in the study, and seroprevalence of anti-HBc in our study was 13.37% (n = 27), where 25 (92.59%) were male. A relationship was found between the variable’s age categories, marital status, and anti-HBc (P < 0.05). Seroprevalence of anti-HBc in men is 3.48 times compared to women (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85–14.13; P = 0.081) and people older than 50 years was 4.45 times concerning the group of 18–29 years (95% CI, 1.17–16.87; P = 0.028) adjusted by sex and marital status. CONCLUSIONS: Seroprevalence in the Rezola Hospital is relatively low and is related to people over 50 years of age and married/cohabiting marital status.