PREVALENCE AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGENAEMIA AMONG CHILDREN AGED 0 TO 59 MONTHS IN OSHIMILI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa.
Children who acquire HBV infection early in childhood, especially before the age of five years,
have a high risk of progression to chronicity and eventually, to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular
carcinoma later in adulthood. High prevalence rates of hepatitis B surface antigenaemia have
been documented among Nigerian children.
This study is aimed at determining the prevalence, sociodemographic characteristics and risk
factors of hepatitis B surface antigenaemia in children aged 0 to 59 months in Oshimili south
local government area of Delta state. It will also ascertain any relationship between HBsAg
seropositivity, sociodemographic characteristics, malnutrition, and the immunization status of the
study subjects.
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out over a four month period (February-
May, 2015). One hundred and fifty-three under-five children drawn from four of the eleven
wards in Oshimili south LGA were enrolled into the study after an informed written consent was
obtained from caregivers. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, hepatitis B
vaccination status, history of surgeries, circumcision, blood transfusion, sharing of sharps and
injection needles, history of scarification marks, and maternal past history of hepatitis B
infection were obtained using a standardized questionnaire. The subjects with weight for height
Z-score of ≤ 2SD below the mean for age were taken to be malnourished. Blood samples
collected from all the subjects and their respective mothers were tested for HBsAg using CTK
Biotech HBsAg test strip. Data was analyzed using SPSS Windows Version 23 and a p-value of
< 0.05 was considered significant.

Eighty-two (53.65%) and 71 (46.4%) of the 153 subjects were males and females respectively,
with a male to female ratio of 1.1: 1. Mean age of the subjects was 35.73±1.3months. Out of the
153 subjects, only 1 male neonate tested positive to HBsAg giving a prevalence rate of 0.7%.
Risk factors for HBsAg positivity found in the positive subject were maternal history of HBV
infection and history of contact with a family member with jaundice. Circumcision, sharing of
sharps/injection needles, past surgical history, presence of scarification marks, blood transfusion
history, socioeconomic class, place of delivery and nutritional status of the study subjects were
not predictors of the risk of acquiring HBV infection in the study population. One hundred and
seventeen of the study subjects (76%) had received HB vaccination while 36 were unimmunized,
and none of the immunized subjects was positive for HBsAg. Three (1.97%) out of the 153
mothers were positive for HBsAg of which one mother and child pair was positive. 76 (49.97%)
of the mothers were not screened for HBV infection during the antenatal period.
The prevalence of HBV in children less than five years in Oshimili South LGA was very low and
may be due to HB vaccination. This study also showed that vertical transmission may still play a
role in transmission of HBV infection in the under-five.
This study recommends that hepatitis B screening in pregnancy should be reinforced and
immunization programs strengthened, including ensuring timely administration of birth dose of
hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG where the mother is positive for HBsAg. In addition, public health
education about the disease should be done.

PREVALENCE AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGENAEMIA AMONG CHILDREN AGED 0 TO 59 MONTHS IN OSHIMILI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE