Sogbeh Solomon Aiah, Ansah-Manu Alexander, Elduma Adel, Gebru Gebrekrstos Negash, Bandoh Delia Akosua, Alhassan Yakubu, Squire James Sylvester, Addo-Lartey Adolphina
National Surveillance Program, Ministry of Health, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Womens Health (Lond). 2025 Jan-Dec;21:17455057251360510. doi: 10.1177/17455057251360510. Epub 2025 Aug 18.
Hepatitis B virus infection remains a global health concern, particularly in resource-constrained countries such as Sierra Leone. Understanding the risk factors for hepatitis B virus among pregnant women can guide public health initiatives, prenatal care, and maternal-child health policies.
We assessed the prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Sierra Leone's Western Area Urban District.
We conducted a facility-based cross-sectional study in five randomly selected hospitals in the Western Area Urban District.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in five randomly selected hospitals in May 2021. Data were collected from 320 pregnant women using structured questionnaires. Hepatitis B virus infection, identified by hepatitis B surface antigen positivity, was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, and logistic regression. Variables that were significant in bivariate analysis were included in the multivariable model. All tests were computed with 95% confidence intervals.
The mean age of participants was 26.0 ± 5.7 years, and the prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection was 13.8% (95% confidence interval: 10.4-18.0). Women with no formal education (adjusted odds ratio: 3.69, 95% confidence interval: 1.33-10.22) or primary education (adjusted odds ratio: 8.30, 95% confidence interval: 2.69-25.63) had significantly higher odds of infection. Single women (adjusted odds ratio: 3.05, 95% confidence interval: 1.29-7.22) and those engaging in risky practices, such as toothbrush sharing (adjusted odds ratio: 1.37) or tattooing (adjusted odds ratio: 2.09), were more likely to be infected. Conversely, a history of stillbirth (adjusted odds ratio: 0.20, 95% confidence interval: 0.04-0.99) was associated with reduced odds of infection.
Hepatitis B virus infection was common among pregnant women in Sierra Leone's Western Area Urban District. Education level, marital status, and unsafe practices such as tattooing and toothbrush sharing were significantly associated with hepatitis B virus infection risk. The findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted public health interventions to reduce hepatitis B virus transmission in this population.
乙型肝炎病毒感染仍然是一个全球关注的健康问题，特别是在像塞拉利昂这样资源有限的国家。了解孕妇中乙型肝炎病毒的危险因素可以指导公共卫生举措、产前护理和母婴健康政策。
我们评估了塞拉利昂西区市区孕妇中乙型肝炎病毒感染的患病率和危险因素。
我们在西区市区随机选择的五家医院进行了一项基于机构的横断面研究。
2021年5月在随机选择的五家医院进行了横断面研究。使用结构化问卷从320名孕妇收集数据。通过乙型肝炎表面抗原阳性确定的乙型肝炎病毒感染，采用描述性统计、Pearson卡方检验和逻辑回归进行分析。在双变量分析中有显著意义的变量被纳入多变量模型。所有检验均计算95%置信区间。
参与者的平均年龄为26.0±5.7岁，乙型肝炎病毒感染的患病率为13.8%（95%置信区间：10.4 - 18.0）。未接受正规教育的女性（调整比值比：3.69，95%置信区间：1.33 - 10.22）或接受小学教育的女性（调整比值比：8.30，95%置信区间：2.69 - 25.63）感染几率显著更高。单身女性（调整比值比：3.05，95%置信区间：1.29 - 7.22）以及那些有危险行为的女性，如共用牙刷（调整比值比：1.37）或纹身（调整比值比：2.09），更有可能被感染。相反，死产史（调整比值比：0.20，95%置信区间：0.04 - 0.99）与感染几率降低有关。
在塞拉利昂西区市区的孕妇中，乙型肝炎病毒感染很常见。教育水平、婚姻状况以及纹身和共用牙刷等不安全行为与乙型肝炎病毒感染风险显著相关。研究结果强调迫切需要有针对性的公共卫生干预措施，以减少该人群中的乙型肝炎病毒传播。
