A survey of hepatitis C prevalence amongst the homeless community of Oxford
| Autor: | R. T. Mayon-White, Luke C. H. Sherriff |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2003 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty Adolescent media_common.quotation_subject Population Paraphernalia Risk Factors Hygiene Environmental health Prevalence medicine Humans Risk factor Substance Abuse Intravenous education media_common education.field_of_study business.industry Data Collection Public health Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health virus diseases General Medicine Hepatitis C Middle Aged medicine.disease United Kingdom Sexual intercourse Malnutrition Ill-Housed Persons Immunology Female business |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Public Health. 25:358-361 |
| ISSN: | 1741-3850 1741-3842 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/pubmed/fdg088 |
| Popis: | Hepatitis C (HCV) is an emerging health concern across the world, with 170 million people chronically infected and at risk of liver cancer, cirrhosis or liver failure. There is no vaccination and so it is important to learn as much as possible about how to prevent future infection. Modes of transmission include intravenous drug use (IDU), blood products, tattooing and, to a lesser extent, sexual intercourse. Homelessness is a risk factor of HCV because of the environments and behaviours associated with homeless communities such as poor hygiene, poor nutrition and high levels of IDU. The aim of this project was to determine the prevalence of HCV and its risk factors amongst the homeless community of Oxford, which is the second largest in the country. Ninety-eight individuals of the Oxford homeless community were interviewed and tested for HCV. The results gave an estimated HCV prevalence of 26.5 per cent. The major risk factors in this population were IDU (past and present), age (over 20 years old) and sharing the paraphernalia used by i.v. drug users (e.g. spoons, foil and filters). With the exception of age, these risk factors could all be targeted in an attempt to reduce this prevalence and combat the major public health concern that HCV poses to the homeless community of Oxford. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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