Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Apr 11;22(1):479.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-022-07813-w.

Exploring factors associated with hepatitis B screening in a multilingual and diverse population

Janet N Chu  1 , Tung T Nguyen  2 , Natalie A Rivadeneira  2   3 , Robert A Hiatt  4   5 , Urmimala Sarkar  2   3   4
Affiliations

Exploring factors associated with hepatitis B screening in a multilingual and diverse population

Janet N Chu et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: Racial/ethnic minorities bear a disproportionate burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and disease. Disparities in HBV screening contribute to worse outcomes for communities of color. We examined the impact of race/ethnicity, language preference, and having a usual place of care on HBV screening in a multilingual, urban cohort.

Methods: We used questions from the Health Information National Trends Survey and added validated questions about healthcare access and health literacy. We administered this survey in English, Spanish, and Chinese to a selected convenience sample of San Francisco city/county residents in 2017, with pre-specified targets for populations with known cancer disparities: 25% Spanish-speaking, 25% Chinese-speaking, and 25% Black Americans. Using weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses, we assessed how race/ethnicity, language preference, and having a usual place of care impacts self-report of HBV screening.

Results: Overall, 1027 participants completed the survey (50% of surveys administered in English, 25% in Spanish, and 25% in Chinese). Only 50% of participants reported HBV screening. In multivariable analysis, Black (OR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.08-0.49), Latinx (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.13-0.85), Asian (OR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.10, 0.94), and 'Other' race/ethnicity (OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.05-0.53) respondents had lower odds of HBV screening compared to non-Hispanic White respondents. Participants who had insurance had increased odds of HBV screening (OR = 2.70, 95% CI 1.48-4.93).

Conclusions: HBV screening disparities persist for Black Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx, and the uninsured. Future studies should explore reasons why current strategies have not been implemented or are not successful, particularly in addressing racial/ethnic and insurance disparities.

Keywords: Hepatitis B; Language preference; Preventive medicine; Race/ethnicity; Screening.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Predictors associated with hepatitis B screening among multilingual, diverse SFHINTS participants. A. Unadjusted analysis of predictor of HBV screening. B. Multivariable analysis of predictors of HBV screening*
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. People Born Outside of the United States and Viral Hepatitis . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020.
    1. Roberts H, Kruszon-Moran D, Ly KN, Hughes E, Iqbal K, Jiles RB, et al. Prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in U.S. households: National Health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES), 1988-2012: HEPATOLOGY, Vol. XX, no. X, 2015. Hepatology. 2016;63(2):388–397. doi: 10.1002/hep.28109. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lingala S, Ghany MG. Hepatitis B: screening, awareness, and the need to treat. Fed Pract. 2016;33(Suppl 3):19S–23S. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kim H-S, Yang JD, El-Serag HB, Kanwal F. Awareness of chronic viral hepatitis in the United States: an update from the National Health and nutrition examination survey. J Viral Hepat. 2019;26(5):596–602. doi: 10.1111/jvh.13060. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lin C, Clark R, Tu P, Tu R, Hsu Y-J, Nien H-C. The disconnect in hepatitis screening: participation rates, awareness of infection status, and treatment-seeking behavior. J Glob Health. 2019;9(1):010426. doi: 10.7189/jogh.09.010426. - DOI - PMC - PubMed