Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Blood Donors Aged 18-50 Years at ELWA Hospital from February to March 2025

Master's Thesis from the year 2025 in the subject Medicine - Epidemiology, grade: A, , course: Health Services Research II, language: English, abstract: The study aimed to assessed the "Prevalence and Risk factors associated with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection among blood donors aged 18-50 years at ELWA Hospital". This study is significant because the findings will help improve blood safety, guide public health strategies, and support prevention efforts. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 385 blood donors. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to determine independent predictors of HBV infection. Model performance was evaluated using accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.
The Findings revealed that the prevalence of HBV infection was 45.7%. Males represented 73% of the sample, with the highest proportion of donors aged 26-35 years. Risk factors for HBV infection included a history of tattoos (AOR=2.31, 95% CI: 1.24-4.32), family history of HBV (AOR=2.18, 95% CI: 1.16-4.09), and previous blood transfusions (AOR=2.65, 95% CI: 1.34-5.25). In contrast, HBV vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of infection (AOR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.22-0.87). Healthcare workers were also at higher risk (AOR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.01-3.81). Education level, age, marital status, and alcohol use were not significantly associated with HBV infection. The logistic regression model demonstrated an accuracy of 85%, sensitivity of 79%, and specificity of 91%. The findings also suggest that individuals who believe in the importance of mandatory HBV screening for blood donors are significantly more likely to support initiatives aimed at preventing HBV transmission in the community and participation in HBV prevention workshops appears to be strongly associated with more favorable perceptions of HBV health campaigns.