Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection among patients receiving health care in a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.
A cross-sectional, seroepidemiological study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among veterans receiving health care from the VA. Among 274 evaluated outpatients, anti-HCV was found in 27 (9.9%). The prevalence of anti-HCV was 3.7% among 190 individuals who reported no illicit drug use compared to 24.7% among 81 subjects who had used drugs (P < 0.001). The prevalence of anti-HCV was 4.8% among 208 veterans who had never been incarcerated compared to 27.9% among 61 veterans who had been incarcerated (P < 0.001). A multivariate model found the following factors to be independently associated with anti-HCV; having used illicit drugs [odds ratio (OR) = 3.7, 95% CI 1.3-11.8; P = 0.001), having been incarcerated (OR = 4.4, 95% CI 1.7-10.9; P = 0.001), and a yearly income less than 10,000 US dollars (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.3-9.4; P = 0.002). Because HCV infection was most strongly associated with illicit drug use, incarceration, and low income, these risk factors should be utilized to develop screening strategies among VA patients.
Mishra
Girish
G
University of Florida and Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Sninsky
C
C
Roswell
Robert
R
Fitzwilliam
S
S
Hyams
Kenneth C
KC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D013287:Illicit Drugs