The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Type II Diabetes Mellitus Among Patients with Hepatitis B Virus: A Descriptive Correlational Study

Abstract

Background: There are 350 million carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) around the world. HBV can be associated with type II diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for type II diabetes mellitus among patients with HBV. Methods: This community-based, cross sectional, descriptive, correlational study recruited participants above 13 years, who resided in Esfandiar rural area, Tabas, Iran. A blood sample was collected from each participant for serological and biochemical tests. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data on the participants’ demographic characteristics, HBV risk factors, and diabetes mellitus risk factors. Independent sample t test, Chi square test, and Fisher’s exact test were applied in SPSS v. 22.0 at a significance level of < 0.05. Results: This study was conducted on 1245 rural dwellers, with the mean age of 36.5 ± 18.5 years (range, 13 - 96 years). The study population consisted of 676 (54.3%) males and 569 (45.7%) females. The prevalence of type II diabetes mellitus and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositivity was 7.6% (n, 95) and 12.5% (n, 156) among the participants, respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity among diabetic patients was insignificantly higher than nondiabetic patients (15.8% vs. 12.3%; P = 0.32). The prevalence of seropositivity among diabetic men was significantly higher than diabetic women (P = 0.02). The mean age, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, and hemoglobin A1c level were significantly higher among diabetic, antigen-positive patients, compared to their nondiabetic counterparts (P < 0.05). However, these groups were not significantly different with respect to alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels (P > 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that HBV can be a risk factor for type II diabetes mellitus. Therefore, continuous monitoring for diabetes mellitus is essential for patients with HBV infection, particularly those above 50 years, those with a body mass index above 25 kg/m2, and those with a positive family history of type II diabetes mellitus.