Factors Correlating to the Development of Hepatitis C Virus Infection among Drug Users—Findings from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Biao Zhou, Gao Feng Feng Cai, Hua Kun Kun Lv, Shuang Fei Fei Xu, Zheng Ting Ting Wang, Zheng Gang Gang Jiang, Chong Gao Gao Hu and Yong Di Di Chen
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Biao Zhou: Department of Scientific Research and Information Management, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China
Gao Feng Feng Cai: Department of Scientific Research and Information Management, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China
Hua Kun Kun Lv: Department of Scientific Research and Information Management, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China
Shuang Fei Fei Xu: Department of Scientific Research and Information Management, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China
Zheng Ting Ting Wang: Department of Scientific Research and Information Management, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China
Zheng Gang Gang Jiang: Department of Scientific Research and Information Management, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China
Chong Gao Gao Hu: Department of Scientific Research and Information Management, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China
Yong Di Di Chen: Department of Scientific Research and Information Management, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: Hepatitis C remains a significant public health threat. However, the main routes of transmission have changed since the early 1990s. Currently, drug use is the main source of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and some measures have been successively implemented and additional studies have been published. However, the factors correlating with HCV infection failed to clearly define. Our study pooled the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and analyzed sensitivity by searching data in the PubMed, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and EBSCO databases. Publication bias was determined by Egger’s test. In our meta-analysis, HCV-infected and non-HCV-infected patients from 49 studies were analyzed. The pooled ORs with 95% CIs for study factors were as follows: Injecting drug use 10.11 (8.54, 11.97); sharing needles and syringes 2.24 (1.78, 2.83); duration of drug use >5 years 2.39 (1.54, 3.71); unemployment 1.50 (1.22, 1.85); commercial sexual behavior 1.00 (0.73, 1.38); married or cohabiting with a regular partner 0.88 (0.79, 0.98), and sexual behavior without a condom 1.72 (1.07, 2.78). This study found that drug users with histories of injecting drug use, sharing needles and syringes, drug use duration of >5 years, and unemployment, were at increased risk of HCV infection. Our findings indicate that sterile needles and syringes should be made available to ensure safe injection. In view of that, methadone maintenance treatment can reduce or put an end to risky drug-use behaviors, and should be scaled up further, thereby reducing HCV infection.

Keywords: drug use; hepatitis C virus; risk factor; meta-analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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