title: Hepatitis B virus infection in high-risk inner-city neighborhoods in San Francisco.
abstract: To examine the extent of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) in an inner-city community, we determined the prevalence, incidence, and correlates of HBV seroreactivity in a representative sample of unmarried whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics living in San Francisco during 1988 to 1989 and again 1 year later in 1989 to 1990. Unmarried men and women aged 20 to 44 years were surveyed in a random household sample drawn from three neighborhoods of varying geographic and cultural characteristics. Hepatitis B infection was determined by testing specimens for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Of blood samples available from 1,108 participants from the initial survey, 159 (14%) were anti-HBc positive. There was a strong positive association between anti-HBc positivity and positive serological tests for human immunodeficiency virus, herpes virus type 2, and syphilis. In women and heterosexual men, after controlling for other variables, anti-HBc positivity was significantly associated with older age (P < .001), nonwhite ethnicity (P < .01), less education (P < .05), injection drug use (P < .001), being paid for sex (P < .05), and lifetime number of sexual partners (P < .05). Among homosexually active men, after controlling for other variables, anti-HBc positivity was significantly associated with nonwhite ethnicity (P < .001), injection drug use in a sexual partner (P < .05), and number of lifetime sexual partners (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morse
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health; D044465:White People