title: Socio-demographic characteristics of health care workers and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in public teaching hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  HBV is second to tobacco as a known human carcinogen and the 10th leading cause of death worldwide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the socio-demographic characteristics of health care workers and hepatitis B virus in Public Teaching Hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan, in 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was an observational, cross sectional, facility-based study. A total of 843 subjects were selected. It was conducted through multistage cluster sampling. The clustering was based on: type of hospital (Federal or State) and degree of exposure (type of department). For the analysis, Z-test for single proportion and some non-parametric tests such as Chi-Square test were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 843 subjects tested for HBV markers (Anti-HBc, HBsAg, HBsAb, and HBeAg), the prevalence of Anti-HBc, HBsAg, HBsAb, and HBeAg was found to be 57%, 6%, 37% and 9% respectively. Seroprevalence of all HBV markers was found to be statistically significant with demographic factors (P&lt;0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection rate, carrier rate and a profile of high infectivity rate were found to be high. The immunity rate was low. There is a significant association between HBV markers and socio-demographic characteristics. Highest rate of infection was found in State Hospitals, South and West regions, married HCWs and HCWs of age group 30-49.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum State, Sudan. tahamukashfi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Taha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ahmed Elmukashfi
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ali Ibrahim
authors.forename: Isam Mohamed
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Elkhidir
authors.forename: Abdelgadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali Bashir
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ali Awad Elkarim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers