Linkage-to-Care Following Community-Based HBV and HCV Screening Among Immigrants from the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area, 2016-2019.

ABSTRACT: Understanding characteristics that impact linkage-to-care (LTC) among individuals living with HBV and/or HCV can enhance public health efforts to provide tailored care services to prevent and treat viral hepatitis among immigrants. Using HBV/HCV screening and LTC data from immigrants (2016-2019), descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess (1) the relationship between LTC and sociodemographic factors and (2) factors associated with HBV/HCV LTC. About 87% of those positive HBsAg had LTC and 52% had LTC among those with HCVAB and confirmed PCR. Access to care was an important LTC predictor for HBV-LTC: those who had neither health insurance nor primary care provider (PCP) were more likely to have HBV-LTC than those who had either health insurance or PCP (aOR = 2.95, 95% CI = 1.32-6.59). It is essential to equally provide HBV/HCV LTC support to all immigrants from countries with high prevalence regardless of access to care.

SUBMITTER: Le D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8783186 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature