title: Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the General Population of Iran: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major global public health problem, affecting more than 2 billion people worldwide. Accurate and updated data on HBV prevalence is important for further planning to control the infection. The aim of this study was to update the prevalence estimate of HBV infection in the general population of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review was done for data on the prevalence of HBV infection in the general Iranian population published between Jan. 1, 1990, and Jan. 1, 2016, in both international and national databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Scientific Information Database, IranMedex, and Magiran. All papers with clearly described time and location of the study, proper sampling strategies, and proper analysis methods were included in the present study. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers. Prevalence of HBV infection with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using Stata software, version 13.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The polled estimated prevalence of HBV infection in the general population of Iran was 2.2 % (95% CI: 1.9% - 2.6%). The highest prevalence of HBV infection (8.9%, 95% CI: 7.6% - 10.2%) was reported from Golestan province, and the lowest prevalence (0.7%, 95% CI: 0.4% - 1.1%) was seen in Kermanshah province. The prevalence of HBV infection was estimated at 3% (95% CI: 2.2% - 3.8%) for Iranian males and 1.7% (95% CI: 1.2% - 2.3%) for Iranian females. The prevalence of HBV infection in the general population of Iran was 2.9% (95% CI: 2.5% - 3.4%) before 2010 and 1.3% (95% CI: 0.9% - 1.7%) after 2010.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In total, Iran was classified within the low-intermediate HBV prevalence areas (2% - 4%), while according to recent data (after 2010), Iran was classified within the low HBV prevalence areas (< 2%), indicating that preventive measures conducted in Iran have been effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehi-Vaziri
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Farzin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
authors.affiliation: Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almasi Hashiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gholami Fesharaki
authors.affiliation: Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Moayed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian
keywords: Hepatitis B Virus; Iran; Meta-Analysis; Prevalence