TY - JOUR
T1 - Hepatitis B virus prevalence and risk factors in hard-to-reach Turkish population living in Belgium
T2 - A protocol for screening
AU - Koc, Ozgur M.
AU - Hens, Niel
AU - Bielen, Rob
AU - Van Damme, Pierre
AU - Robaeys, Geert
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was funded by BOF (BOF16DOC18), Special Research Fund from University Hasselt Belgium, and was supported by Gilead Sciences by an unrestricted grant registered as V-2331 at Hasselt University. The study sponsors were not involved in the conduct of the current study. Ö.M.K. has received a travel grant from Gilead. R.B. has received travel grants from MSD and Gilead, and his institution has received research grants from MSD, Gilead, and Bristol-Meyers Squibb. This study is part of the ‘Limburg Clinical Research Program’ (LCRP), supported by the foundation Limburg Sterk Merk, province of Limburg, Flemish government, Hasselt University, Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, and Jessa Hospital. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
PY - 2019/5/1
Y1 - 2019/5/1
N2 - 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.Clinical trial number:This clinical trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03396458).
AB - 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.Clinical trial number:This clinical trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03396458).
KW - Belgium
KW - hepatitis B
KW - migrant
KW - prevalence
KW - screening
KW - Turkish
KW - HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION
KW - HBV
KW - EPIDEMIOLOGY
KW - NORTH
U2 - 10.1097/MD.0000000000015412
DO - 10.1097/MD.0000000000015412
M3 - Article
C2 - 31045797
SN - 0025-7974
VL - 98
SP - 1
EP - 7
JO - Medicine
JF - Medicine
IS - 18
M1 - e15412
ER -