Demographic and sociocultural characteristics of sickle anaemia children with positive Hepatitis B surface antigenaemia in a tertiary health facility in Enugu

GO Emechebe; IJ Emodi; AN Ikefuna; GC Ilechukwu; WC Igwe; OS Ejiofor; CA Ilechukwu


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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Year : 2010 | Volume : 13 | Issue : 3 | Page : 317-320

Demographic and sociocultural characteristics of sickle anaemia children with positive Hepatitis B surface antigenaemia in a tertiary health facility in Enugu

GO Emechebe¹, IJ Emodi², AN Ikefuna², GC Ilechukwu³, WC Igwe⁴, OS Ejiofor⁵, CA Ilechukwu⁶
¹ Department of Paediatrics, Imo state University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, Nigeria
² Department of Paediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria
³ Department of Paediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria
⁴ Department of Paediatrics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria
⁵ Department of Paediatrics, Amaku General Hospital, Awka, Nigeria
⁶ Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Child Health, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria

Correspondence Address:
G O Emechebe
Department of Paediatrics, Imo state University Teaching Hospital, Orlu
Nigeria

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

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PMID: 20857793

Background: Hepatitis B virus) infection is contracted through contact with body fluid of infected persons. Patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA), a common haematological disorder in Nigeria, have tendencies to visit traditional healers who administer scarifications and ritual marks that may expose them to HBV infection. Objective: To determine the demographic and socio-cultural characteristics of children with SCA infected with HBV at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu. Subjects and Method: Two hundred and twenty one children aged 6months to 17years with SCA were recruited consecutively from October 2004 to April 2005. They were screened for HBsAg using ELISA method. Results: There was no statistically difference in hepatitis B surface antigenaemia among different age group (P=0.907). Social class did not significantly influence the prevalence of HBsAg among subjects (p=0.887). Socio-cultural practices like circumcision and scarification did not influence the prevalence of HBsAg, (p=0.636) (p=0.771) respectively. Significantly higher number of people from lowest socioeconomic class practice scarification (p=0.0001). Conclusion: Demographic and sociocultural factors do not appear to influence the prevalence of HBsAg among children with SCA in Enugu, Nigeria.

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