Health and socioeconomic status differences among antibody hepatitis C positive and negative transfusion recipients, 1986-1990.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the socioeconomic and health status, disease symptoms of anti-HCV-positive and negative transfusion recipients. METHODS: A cross-sectional interviewer-administered survey of subjects identified through the British Columbia Blood Recipient Program. Study subjects were 18 years and over and had to have had a transfusion between August 1, 1986 and June 30, 1990 and completed an interview of satisfactory quality. Anti-HCV-positive subjects were those seeking monetary compensation from the provincial and Canadian governments and the comparison group was randomly selected from a pool of anti-HCV-negative subjects. The study was designed to detect an assumed difference of 20% in signs and symptoms between the two groups. Statistical comparisons were conducted using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 241 and 222 anti-HCV-positive and negative subjects were respectively interviewed and met the study's eligibility criteria. Results from the multivariate analysis indicated that anti-HCV-positive recipients were more likely to have two or more clinical symptoms (OR = 3.53; 95% CI 1.44, 8.70), to be in worse health status as compared to ten years previous (OR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.30, 1.96), to have a higher illness intrusiveness rating (OR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.25, 1.46), and to be younger (OR = 0.97; 95% CI 0.95, 0.98). CONCLUSION: Our results show that persons exposed to HCV were more likely to have had two or more clinical symptoms, be male, have worse health status as compared to ten years previous, have a higher illness intrusiveness rating, and be younger in age.