Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in Jos, Nigeria

Objectives: The study sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with Hepatitis B surface antigenemia (HBsAg) positivity among pregnant women in Jos, Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among the pregnant population in five healthcare facilities in Jos, between November 1, 2017 and April 30, 2018. Informed consent was obtained, and data on sociodemographic and risk factors for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were collected. Hepatitis B viral infection was assessed using the in vitro HBsAg diagnostic rapid kit (Acon Laboratories, USA). Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression were performed to identify predictors of HBV infection in the study population. All statistical analyses were carried out on STATA version 15. Results: Of the 3,238 women enrolled, 7.4% (241/3238) (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.6% to 8.4%) were HBsAg positive. The absence of HBV vaccination (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.49; 95% CI = 1.49-4.09; P < 0.001), co-infection with HIV (AOR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.18-3.08; P = 0.009), and higher parity (AOR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.04-1.79; P = 0.024) were independently associated with HBV infection in pregnancy. Conclusions: The prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women was high, especially among those without prior vaccination for HBV, those with HIV co-infection and higher parity.