Hepatitis B: Epidemiology and prevalence in Iran, during 2002-2014

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Hepatitis B is a major health problem around the globe the prevalence of which varies depending on theregion and study. In this study, we aimed to determine the epidemiology and prevalence rates of hepatitis B in Fasa, Iran.Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed using medical records of all the hepatitis B patients referring to FasaHealth Center during 2002-2014. The demographic variables and other required data were obtained and recorded, and then descriptivestatistics (frequency, mean, and percentage) were reported using SPSS, version 18.Results: In this study, from the 208 patients, 83.2% were male, and 83.2% were aged between 21 and 30 years. The majority of thehepatitis B patients (97.1%) did not have history of vaccination against the disease. The number of addicts using intravenous injectionand suffering from hepatitis B was higher (31.7%) than others. The prevalence rate of this disease was 0.01% in 2014.Conclusion: The prevalence and incidence of hepatitis B in 2014 in Fasa indicate the necessity of prevention and vaccination for thoseat high risk of the disease. Health education programs in schools, universities, organizations, and even mosques can play a major rolein preventing the prevalence of the disease.