Sero-prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Public Health Facilities in Babile District, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Kefyalew Melkamu , mengistie Bezatu , Gobana Tesfaye , Anbessa Obsa , Mekonnen Taye , Tsegaye Shimeles 
Published: February 2024

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the global health challenges that pose burden on the lives of millions. It is 50-100 more infectious than the HIV/ AIDS and it also called “a silent infection” because most people do not have any symptoms when they are infected first. The route of the transmission of the HBV is largely vary from region to regions in which vertical transmission is common in highly endemic areas like Asian- Pacific regions and African region. Horizontal transmission is common in low endemic areas like Europe and America. In spite of the importance of the epidemiological knowledge of the sero prevalence of the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) among pregnant women to identify the associated risk factors and implement the appropriate intervention measures in Ethiopia is under studied particularly in the current study area.
Objectives: To determine sero-prevalence of HBV infection and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Babile district health facilities, Oromia, Eastern Ethiopia from February 26, 2018 to March 20, 2018
Methods: Health facility based cross-sectional study was conducted among 293 pregnant women who were attending antenatal care clinic in Babile district. Data was collected by using pretested standard questionnaires adapt from the World Health Organization protocol for assessment of HBV antenatal care (ANC) patient. Blood samples were collected from each participants and serum specimens were tested for HBsAg using rapid diagnostic test kits and positive tests were confirmed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA). Descriptive statics was computed to describe the percentage, mean and standard deviations of the study variables. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine predictors of the independent variables. Independent variables with P-value ≤ 0.05 were declare statistical significant and adjusted odd ratio were used to report the effect size.
Result: This study indicated that the overall sero-prevalence of HBV among pregnant mother in the current study area was 7.85% (95% CI, 5.0, 11.5). Higher prevalence (6.8%) was observed in the age group of < 30 years. After adjusting for all potential cofounder using multivariate analysis previous History of having blood transfusion (AOR 4.75, 95%CI 1.19, 18.92), having any surgical procedures (AOR 5.21, 95%CI (1.48, 18.35), having traditional cutting of tonsil/uvula and family history of hepatitis (AOR 5.82, 95%CI 1.63, 20.75) were become independent predictors of HBV infection.
Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women is high-intermediate endemic area according to the WHO classification criteria. This result implies that HBV infection is a serious public health problem in Babile district. Having history of Blood transfusion, any surgical procedure, family history of hepatitis and history of traditional cutting of tonsillectomy were independent factors significantly associated with HBV infection among the study participants.