Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Patients in Tertiary Healthcare Facilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: An estimate by the WHO in 2022 has it that 254 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B infection with a reported death of 1.1 million individuals. In Nigeria, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a critical public health challenge. This challenge is exacerbated by factors such as limited access to healthcare, inadequate vaccination coverage, and high-risk behaviours. In Nasarawa State, the disease prevalence ranges from 7.8% to 13.63%.  These figures highlight the burden of hepatitis B in Nasarawa State. Aim: The present study focused on determining the Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Associated Risk Factors among Patients Attending Selected Tertiary Health Facilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2024 using simple random sampling with ELISA and Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) techniques. The study areas included the Federal Medical Centre Keffi (FMCK) and the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH) Lafia, Nasarawa State, among Patients attending those hospitals. Participants above five years who were not immunized with the HBV vaccine in the last month were included, while those below five years or recently vaccinated within the last month were excluded. Results: Out of the 200 participants tested, an overall prevalence of 11.5% and 9.5% was recorded for ELISA and RDT techniques, respectively. In this study, farmers had the highest prevalence of 33.3% followed by students at 14.1%, housewives at 7.1% and civil servants at 4.3%, while the least was recorded among those with business as their occupation 2.3%. similarly, rural settlers had a higher prevalence of 18.4% compared to urban settlers, 6.5%. While there was no association between HBV prevalence and age, gender, marital status, senatorial districts, vaccination, and use of alcohol (P>.05); blood transfusions, sharing of unsterilized instruments and unsafe dental/surgical procedures were high significant risk factors that likely contributed to the elevated transmission rates of HBV observed in the studied populations (P= 0.00). Conclusion: The overall prevalence of HBV infection in the study was found to be 9.5% using RDT and 11.5% using ELISA methods. These figures are higher than the national prevalence. The study highlights occupational and environmental risk factors, including unsafe practices, which contribute to the transmission of the virus. Therefore, we recommend enhanced HBV awareness creation, the need to strengthen safe blood transfusion policy, and increased access to affordable healthcare, particularly for people living in rural areas within the State.