Hepatitis a seroprevalence in children and young adults in Istanbul, Turkey: seroprevalence change and associated factors

Abstract

Hepatitis A is a widespread infectious disease. The prevalence of the disease is closely related to socioeconomic status (SES) and environmental factors. Understanding its prevalence is essential for instituting appropriate precautions. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis A and evaluate the associated demographic features in children and young adults in Istanbul. In total, 630 individuals between the ages of 5-24 were included in the study. They were classified into four age groups (5-9, 10-14, 15-19 and 20-24 years). The seropositivity of hepatitis A in the whole study population was 40%. Age-specific prevalence was 11.4% in children 5-9 years old, 29% in those 10-14 years old, 49.7% in those 15-19 years old and 69% in those 20-25 years old. Seropositivity was associated with increasing age, low SES, large family size, low maternal educational level, use of unsafe drinking water and living in regions with poor infrastructure and incomplete urbanization. When we compared our results with previous seroprevalence studies performed in Istanbul, we found an epidemiological shift towards increasing age. Factors associated with changes in prevalence were urbanization and associated infrastructure improvement, knowledge of the disease by the population, use of good hygiene and use of vaccination in those at high risk.

Risk Factors for Acute Hepatitis A Infection in Korea in 2007 and 2009: A Case-Control Study

“…Previous studies demonstrated that the more economically active the families were, the less immune were individuals to hepatitis A (23). However, this correlation could be due to the use of education level as variable rather than household income as the indicator of socioeconomic status in those studies (20-22, 25). …”

Comparison of the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis A in 10 to 18-Year-Old Adolescents of Sixteen Iranian Provinces: The CASPIAN-III Study

“…In Turkey, the seroprevalence in children under the age of 18 varied between 29.5% to 57% in different regions, and several parameters such as low socioeconomic status of family, low family income, large family, low education of the parents (especially mothers), and unsafe drinking water were frequently recognized as risk factors for HAV (22-25). In Kuwait, the seroprevalence was 24% in the age group of 18-27 years and was associated with non-educated parents (26).…”

The seroprevalence of hepatitis A in Istanbul, Turkey

“…Frequency of HAV infection in the Eastern part of the country is high, compared to other regions of Turkey [10]. Another study, conducted in Istanbul which included 630 individuals between the ages of 5 and 24 years showed that the seropositivity of HAV in the whole study population was 40% [12]. A seroprevalence study found that the HAV seropositivity in adolescents was 38% in 2008, while the rate in the same region had been 75% in 1998 [13].…”