title: Awareness of Hepatitis C Virus Seropositivity and Chronic Infection in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).
abstract: Few population-based studies have assessed awareness of hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositivity and chronic infection. We report awareness of HCV seropositivity and chronic infection and correlates of awareness in a multi-city (Bronx, Miami, Chicago, and San Diego) community-dwelling population sample of United States (US) Hispanics/Latinos recruited during 2008-2011. Included were 260 HCV-seropositive participants, among whom 190 had chronic HCV. Among those with chronic HCV, 46 % had been told by a doctor that they had liver disease and 32 % had been told that they had HCV-related liver disease. Among those with chronic HCV who also lacked health insurance (37 % of those with chronic HCV), only 8 % had been told that they had HCV-related liver disease. As compared with the uninsured, those with insurance were over five times more likely to be aware of having HCV-related liver disease (44 %). Sex, age, education, city of residence, and birthplace were not associated with HCV awareness. Less than half of Hispanics/Latinos were aware of their HCV chronic infection. Lack of health insurance may be an important barrier to HCV awareness in this population.
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Belfer Building, Room 1308, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA. mark.kuniholm@einstein.yu.edu.
authors: Mark H
authors: MH
authors: Kuniholm
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Belfer Building, Room 1308, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
authors: Molly
authors: M
authors: Jung
authors: National Centre of Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Del Amo
authors: Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors: Gregory A
authors: GA
authors: Talavera
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors: Bharat
authors: B
authors: Thyagarajan
authors: Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: Ronald C
authors: RC
authors: Hershow
authors: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors: Oriana M
authors: OM
authors: Damas
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Belfer Building, Room 1308, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
authors: Robert C
authors: RC
authors: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Awareness; Hepatitis C virus; Hispanic; Latino; United States