title: A case control study to assess risk factors for hepatitis C among a general population in a highly endemic area of northwest Tunisia.
abstract: A matched case-control study was undertaken in 2004 in Béja, north-western Tunisia, to evaluate potential risk factors for hepatitis C infection. Cases were anti-HCV positive subjects screened in 1996 serosurvey. HCV seronegative controls (5 per case) were selected in the proximity of cases and matched for age and gender. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect demographic, socioeconomic, social behavior, medical and surgical history information. Matched odds ratios (OR) and adjusted OR (AOR) and their 95% CI were calculated in multivariate analysis using logistic regression. 57 HCV positive cases (mean age 61.63 +/- 14,84; 68.4 % female) and 285 HCV negative controls (mean age 60.95 +/- 14.66; 68.4 % female) were enrolled. Multivariate analysis revealed that intravenous drug injections (AOR=1.96; 95%CI[1.02-3.8] p=0.045), past history of invasive procedures (AOR=2.53; 95%CI[1.21-5.29] p=0.0014) and medical history of hypertension (AOR=2.31; 95%CI [1.17-4.56]p=0.015) were significantly associated to HCV infection. These results suggest that nosocomial transmission of HCV infection in north-west Tunisia is common.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute Tunis, Tunis-Belvedere, Tunisia. nissaf.benalaya@pasteur.rns.tn
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Alaya Bouafif
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Triki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mejri
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bahri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chlif
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bettaib
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Héchmi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dellagi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Salah
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011159:Population Surveillance; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology