title: A comparison of risk factors for hepatitis C among young and older adult prisoners.
abstract: Internationally, the prevalence of hepatitis C infection is higher among prisoners when compared to the general population, particularly among people who inject drugs. This study estimates the prevalence of, and compares the risk factors for, hepatitis C in young (< 25 years) and older (≥ 25 years) prisoners with a history of injection drug use. Participants were 677 sentenced prisoners in Queensland, Australia, with a lifetime history of injection drug use, recruited in the 6 weeks prior to release from custody. The prevalence of hepatitis C exposure was significantly lower in young prisoners than in older prisoners (20.7% vs. 29.4%, p = .03). Risk factors for hepatitis C varied between young and older prisoners. Young people who inject drugs and who have had shorter time at risk of hepatitis C exposure are an important target group for hepatitis C prevention efforts.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disability, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia k.vandooren@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van Dooren
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Stuart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kinner
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia The Nossal Institute for Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hellard
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: hepatitis C; injection drugs; prevention; prisoners; young adults