Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care (Feb 2025)

Assessing Community Awareness Regarding Hepatitis C in Gadap Town, District Malir, Karachi

  • Almas Rahim Balouch,
  • Syed Muhammad Zulfiqar Hyder Naqvi,
  • Syed Imtiaz Ahmed Jafry

DOI
https://doi.org/10.37184/lnjpc.2707-3521.7.2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 8 – 14

Abstract

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Background: Hepatitis C is a major public health issue across the globe, with approximately 58 million individuals estimated to have chronic Hepatitis C virus infection while every year 1.5 million new cases emerge. Locally in Pakistan, the prevalence of Hepatitis C in the general population has recently been reported to be 16.4%. As there are currently no effective vaccines available for precaution against Hepatitis C infection, the role of prevention such as increasing awareness among the masses is even more significant. Objective: To assess the awareness regarding Hepatitis C among the residents of Union Council 3, Gadap Town, District Malir, Karachi. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Gadap Town, District Mlir, Karachi from September 2022 to November 2023. The study population comprised people aged 18 years or above of either gender living in Union Council 3, Gadap Town, District Malir, Karachi. Data were collected by using a pre-tested questionnaire. Data were analyzed on SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 601 participants were included in the study. The mean age of respondents was 30.99±10.58 years and 268 (44.6%) of them belonged to the 26 to 39 year age group, 326 (54.2%) of them were male whereas 236 (39.2%) of them had a positive family history of Hepatitis C. Moreover, 395 (65.7%) of the study participants were found to have inadequate awareness regarding Hepatitis C. Furthermore, on multivariable analysis, both education level (p<0.001) and family history of Hepatitis C (p<0.001) were found to be significantly associated with the awareness level of participants. Conclusion: The study results revealed that almost two-thirds of the participants had inadequate awareness regarding Hepatitis C. Furthermore, both education level and family history of Hepatitis C were significantly associated with the awareness level of the participants.

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