Hepatitis B Prevalence and Risk Factors in a Foreign-Born Asian and Pacific Islander Population at a Community Health Center in Hawai‘i

Abstract

Hawai‘i has one of the highest rates of liver cancer in the United States. This is in large part due to undiagnosed chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection among foreign-born Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). In order to estimate the prevalence of CHB infection among foreign-born APIs in Hawai‘i, the Hawai‘i State Department of Health conducted a cross-sectional study from August 2013 through August 2015 of patients of a federally qualified health center serving the largest population of medically underserved APIs in the state. Among 1261 patients surveyed, the prevalence of CHB infection (based on HBsAg seropositivity) was 5.6% (71/1259). No significant differences were detected by place of birth, age, or gender; however, the adjusted prevalence ratio of CHB infection was 6.0 times higher among persons reporting household contact with hepatitis B virus compared with those without such contact. Our findings underscore the need for targeted screening of at-risk individuals and their household contacts.