Maternal Age at First Childbirth and Geographical Variation in Hepatitis B Virus Prevalence in Cameroon: Important Role of Mother-to-Child Transmission.
Clin Infect Dis
; 74(5): 836-845, 2022 03 09.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34125878
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection varies geographically around the world. Yet, its underlying mechanisms are unknown. Using a nationally representative population-based sample from all 58 administrative divisions in Cameroon, we examined the association between median maternal age at first childbirth in a preceding generation, a proxy for the frequency of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HBV in a region, and the risk of chronic HBV infection, defined as positive surface antigen (HBsAg), in the index generation.METHODS:
We estimated a division-specific median maternal age at first childbirth using Demographic Health Surveys (DHSs) conducted in 1991, 1998, 2004, and 2011. We tested HBsAg in 2011 DHS participants. We used maps to display spatial variation.RESULTS:
In 14 150 participants (median age, 27 years; 51% females), the overall weighted prevalence of HBsAg was 11.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0 to 12.8), with a wide geographical variation across the divisions (range, 6.3%-23.7%). After adjusting for confounders and spatial dependency, lower maternal age at first childbirth was significantly associated with positive HBsAg at the division level (ß, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.26 to 2.52) and at the individual level (odds ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.39). A similar ecological correlation was observed across other African countries.CONCLUSIONS:
The significant association between the maternal age at first childbirth and HBsAg positivity suggests a crucial role of MTCT in maintaining high HBV endemicity in some areas in Cameroon. This underlines an urgent need to effectively prevent MTCT in sub-Saharan Africa.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez
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Hepatite B
Tipo de estudo:
Prevalence_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Pregnancy
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article