title: Distribution and risk factors of hepatitis B virus infection in the general population of Central Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B is the most common chronic viral infection in humans and the most common cause of death among viral hepatitis. As 70% to 80% of chronic hepatitis cases are caused by HBV in Iran, this virus alone is considered the most important cause of liver diseases and the major cause of mortality arising from viral hepatitis cases in Iran.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We planned this study to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B in the general population of Qom, central Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study is a cross-sectional study. A total of 3690 samples were collected from 7 rural clusters and 116 urban clusters. Ten teams, each consisting of 2 trained members, were assigned to conduct the sampling and fill the questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence rate of hepatitis B infection in Qom Province was 1.3%. The mean age of the patients with hepatitis B was 44.17 years. The prevalence of hepatitis B was 1.6% in men and 1.1% in women. Moreover, the prevalence of hepatitis B correlated positively with age, tattooing, and literacy level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence rate of hepatitis B in Qom is 1.3%. It is possible to prevent the disease by increasing public awareness. Further investigation on clinical presentations and a determination of the genotype of the virus are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, IR Iran. ghadir@muq.ac.ir
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ghadir
authors.forename: Mojtaba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belbasi
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heidari
authors.forename: Mahboobeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jandagh
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.forename: Hosseinali
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Habibinejad
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kabiri
authors.forename: Amir Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Ghanooni
authors.forename: Abolfazl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iranikhah
authors.forename: Seyed Moayed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian