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Title: | Hepatitis B virus prevalence and risk factors in hard-to-reach Turkish population living in Belgium A protocol for screening | Authors: | KOC, Ozgur HENS, Niel BIELEN, Rob Van Damme, Pierre ROBAEYS, Geert |
Issue Date: | 2019 | Publisher: | LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS | Source: | MEDICINE, 98(18) (Art N° e15412) | Abstract: | Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important public health problem in the Turkish population, that is, one of the largest migrant populations in Europe. With the introduction of cost-effective antiviral treatments in the past decade, there is a need to identify HBV-infected patients who may benefit from treatment. This study describes the design of a study to assess the HBV prevalence in the Turkish population living in Belgium. Additionally, we will determine the risk factors of HBV infection and the uptake of screening, vaccination, and antiviral treatment in this hard-to-reach Turkish population. Methods: A longitudinal, epidemiological study will be conducted in the region Middle Limburg Belgium, where the Turkish adult population, 18 years of age and older, will be screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBs), and antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Educational meetings concerning viral hepatitis B will be organized and there will be 3 ways to be screened for HBV: immediately after the educational meetings, at the Outpatient Hepatology Department of Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, and at home visits. Subsequently, participants will be asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic factors, migration history, risk factors for HBV infection (e.g., sharing toothbrushes, HBV-infected family member), and HBV vaccination status. Six months after screening, HBsAg-positive patients will be assessed whether they are under follow-up at the general practitioner or hepatologist. We will also gather information regarding the uptake of vaccination in nonimmunized subjects. Discussion: This study will provide information about the HBV prevalence and distribution of the stages of liver disease in the Turkish population in Belgium. By determining the risk factors for HBV infection, subgroups with an increased prevalence of HBV infection can be identified. | Notes: | [Koc, Ozgur M.; Bielen, Rob; Robaeys, Geert] Ziekenhuis Oost Limburg, Dept Gastroenterol & Hepatol, Schiepse Bos 6, B-3600 Genk, Belgium. [Koc, Ozgur M.; Bielen, Rob; Robaeys, Geert] Hasselt Univ, Fac Med & Life Sci, Hasselt, Belgium. [Koc, Ozgur M.] Maastricht Univ, Med Ctr, Sch Nutr & Translat Res Metab, Dept Med Microbiol, Maastricht, Netherlands. [Hens, Niel] Hasselt Univ, Interuniv Inst Biostat & Stat Bioinformat I Biost, Hasselt, Belgium. [Hens, Niel] Antwerp Univ, Vaccine & Infect Dis Inst, Ctr Hlth Econ Res & Modelling Infect Dis, Antwerp, Belgium. [Van Damme, Pierre] Antwerp Univ, Vaccine & Infect Dis Inst, Ctr Evaluat Vaccinat, Antwerp, Belgium. [Robaeys, Geert] Katholieke Univ Leuven, Dept Gastroenterol & Hepatol, Leuven, Belgium. | Keywords: | Belgium; hepatitis B; migrant; prevalence; screening; Turkish;Belgium; hepatitis B; migrant; prevalence; screening; Turkish | Document URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1942/29057 | ISSN: | 0025-7974 | e-ISSN: | 1536-5964 | DOI: | 10.1097/MD.0000000000015412 | ISI #: | 000473106900042 | Rights: | 2019 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. | Category: | A1 | Type: | Journal Contribution | Validations: | ecoom 2020 |
Appears in Collections: | Research publications |
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