Prevalence and associated risk factors of hepatitis B virus infections among women of reproductive age in Juba, South Sudan

Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a partially double-stranded, enveloped virus with a circular DNA genome. This virus increasingly infects the population. Information on HBV infections in South Sudan is limited. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and major risk factors of HBV infections among women of reproductive age in Juba City, South Sudan. Method: This study adapted a quantitative cross-sectional research design to assess prevalence and risk factors of HBV infections among these women. The study sites were seven health facilities in Juba. A validated semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the 1808 randomly selected women. The study used EpiData software v4.7 to control data entry and Stata v15 for analysis. Chi squared tests and regression model were performed to determine association and likelihood respectively. Results: Among the 1808 women, the burden of HBV infections was 11.2% and nearly half were unaware of their HBV status. The HBV infections were significantly associated with blood transfusion (p <0.001), surgical operations (p <0.001), and close contact with a case of HBV (p < 0.001). The women who had close contact with a case of HBV infections were 2.5 times more likely to be infected (OR: 2.487, 95% CI: 1.549 - 3.995). Women who had a history of surgical operations were more likely to be positive for HBV by 12.6% compared to those who had had no surgery (OR: 1.126, 95% CI: 0.614 - 2.067). The women who receive blood transfusions were more likely to be infected HBV (OR: 1.134, 95% CI 0.594 - 2.166). Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV infections among these women was high and nearly half of them were unaware of their HBV status. It is associated with blood transfusion, surgical operations, and close contact with cases of HBV. The study recommends the improvement of tailored health promotion, antenatal HBV screening, birth dose vaccines.