3017.0: Monday, November 13, 2000 - 12:30 PM

Abstract #8984

Self-report validity of hepatitis B infection and vaccination among youth

Benny Jose, PhD, Samuel R. Friedman, PhD, and Peter L. Flom, PhD. Institute for AIDS Research, National Development & Research Institutes, Inc, Two World Trade Center, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10048, 2128454474, jose@ndri.org

Objective: To estimate validity of self-reports of prior hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatitis B vaccination among youth in a high-drug-use urban community.

Methods: 461 youths (18-24 years) in Bushwick, New York City were recruited through multi-stage household probability sampling (n=306), and through street-based targeted sampling of drug users (n=155) from the same neighborhood; asked whether they had ever been told by a doctor or nurse that they had hepatitis B, and whether they had ever received the hepatitis B vaccine (HepB); and tested for HBV infection (HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs). Given their young ages, most HepB vaccinations might have been relatively recent and thus the observed anti-HBs prevalence may be a reasonable estimate of actual vaccination levels in the population. Specificity and sensitivity were determined through comparing self-reports of HBV infection and vaccination with respective seromarkers.

Results: Past or present HBV infection was 3.7% by self-reports and 5.9% by seromarkers (HBsAg+ or anti-HBc+). Only two people were HBsAg+. While 36.8% reported that they had received HepB vaccine, only 23.1% were anti-HBs+. Of 104 subjects with sero-evidence of vaccination (anti-HBs+), 50% said they had not been vaccinated; 6% said they "did not know."

Seromarker

N

Self-report

Serology

Specificity

Sensitivity

kappa

HBsAg+ or anti-HBc+

460

17

27

0.98

0.26

0.29

anti-HBs+

451

166

104

0.65

0.44

0.08

Conclusions: Self-reports of HBV exposure were specific, but not sensitive. Specificity is moderate and sensitivity low for self-reports of vaccination. Researchers and health care providers should be cautious in using such self-reports.

Learning Objectives: 1.Evaluate a method of sampling inner-city youths and collecting data on hepatitis B. 2.Identify the extent of past HBV infection and immunization among inner-city youth. 3. Recognize the limitations of both self-report data on and seromarkers of HBV infection and immunization

Keywords: Hepatitis B, Youth

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA