Abstract B114: HCV screening and awareness education are much needed among African American baby boomers in Philadelphia
Authors: Ma Grace X. , Zhu Lin , Tan Yin , Levine Fayola , Gillot Tamara , Simoncini Gina , Arthur-Lewis Jennifer , Rhee Joanne , Wei Zhengyu , Ogunwobi Olorunseun O. 
Published: August 2020

Background: African Americans have substantially higher rates of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HCV-related deaths compared to other ethnic groups. HCV-related chronic liver disease and cirrhosis were among the leading causes of death in baby boomers within African American community. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate screening rate, infection history, awareness and knowledge about HCV in African American baby boomers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Methods: In collaboration with church leaders, a total of 138 African Americans aged between 45 to 74 were recruited from African American churches in Philadelphia, PA. Questionnaires were administered face-to-face with voluntary participants. Demographic characteristics, HCV screening, risk factors and family history of liver disease and HCV, awareness and knowledge of HCV were measured.

Results: The study sample consisted of 74 (54%) women and 64 (46%) men, with an average age of 62. Two thirds (66%) of the sample had high school or lower education. Most of them had health insurance (91%) and a regular physician to visit (90%). Although 82% of the participants had heard of HCV, only 43% had been tested for it. Of the respondents, 10% reported having family members with liver cancer, with 26% reporting that they did not know about their family history of liver cancer; 9% reported having a family history of HCV infection, and 24% did not know their family history of HCV. The study found that participants had low level of HCV-related knowledge. Less than two-thirds (61%) were able to correctly identify one cause associated with HCV infection, and only 36% knew that there are more people infected with HCV than those with HIV/AIDS. About less than 50% participants correctly identified the means of HCV transmission, including blood transfusion (64%), intravenous drug use (55%), tattooing and body piercing (54%), direct exposure to blood (40%), sharing the razor with an HCV-infected person (35%), sexual activity (36%), and mother-to-child transmission (40%). Furthermore, only 25% knew that 75% to 85% of people with HCV will develop chronic liver disease, and only 21% knew that there was no vaccine for HCV. In terms of risk behaviors, 16% participants had used illegal drug through intravenous/subcutaneous/nasal injection, 16% had received blood transfusion, 5% served in the Vietnam War, 13% had tattoo, 3% received hemodialysis, and 2% had been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

Conclusions: African American baby boomers present moderate to high risk factors (intravenous drug use, blood transfusion, etc.), yet awareness and knowledge related to HCV family history, transmission, and prevalence remained low. Significant efforts are needed in promoting awareness and education interventions to improve HCV screening in this underserved and vulnerable population.

Acknowledgment: This pilot study was supported by faculty research funds from Center for Asian Health, Temple University (PI: Grace Ma). We acknowledge volunteers and community leaders who made this study possible.

Citation Format: Grace X. Ma, Lin Zhu, Yin Tan, Fayola Levine, Tamara Gillot, Gina Simoncini, Jennifer Arthur-Lewis, Joanne Rhee, Zhengyu Wei, Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi. HCV screening and awareness education are much needed among African American baby boomers in Philadelphia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B114.