Previous Exposure to HCV Among Persons Born During 1945―1965: Prevalence and Predictors, United States, 1999―2008

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 104; no. 3; pp. 474 - 481
• Main Authors: SMITH, Bryce D, BECKETT, Geoff A, YARTEL, Anthony, HOLTZMAN, Deborah, PATEL, Nita, WARD, John W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Public Health Association 01.03.2014
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adult; Aged; Antibodies; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Blood transfusions; Clinical trials; Cohort Studies; Confidence Intervals; Disease control; Drug use; Educational attainment; Ethnicity; Family income; FDA approval; Female; Forecasting; General aspects; Health Surveys; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C - complications; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C Antibodies - isolation & purification; Hispanic people; Humans; Independent variables; Infections; Liver cancer; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Morbidity; Mortality; Nutrition; Nutrition Surveys; Prevalence; Prevention; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Research and Practice; Risk Factors; Screening; Sexual intercourse; Sociodemographics; Socioeconomic Factors; Substance abuse treatment; Task forces; United States - epidemiology; Variables; United States; North America; America; United States > US; Virus; 2008; Prevalence; 1940-1950; Prediction; Exposure; Flaviviridae; Predictive factor; Hepatitis C virus; Hepacivirus; Public health; 1999
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301549

We examined HCV exposure prevalence and predictors among persons in the United States born during 1945-1965. With data from the 1999-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we calculated the proportion of persons born during 1945-1965 who tested positive for HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and analyzed the prevalence by sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Anti-HCV prevalence in the 1945-1965 birth cohort was 3.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.8%, 3.8%), substantially higher than among other adults (0.9%). Within the cohort, anti-HCV prevalence was higher among non-Hispanic Blacks (6.4%; 95% CI = 5.3%, 7.7%), persons with injection drug use histories (56.8%; 95% CI = 48.4%, 64.8%), and persons with elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (12.7%; 95% CI = 10.7%, 15.1%). Injection drug use (adjusted odds ratio = 98.4; 95% CI = 58.8, 164.5) was the strongest anti-HCV prevalence predictor. Among anti-HCV-positive persons, 57.8% reported having 2 or more alcoholic drinks daily. With the high prevalence of HCV among persons born during 1945-1965, the increasing morbidity and mortality associated with HCV, and reductions in liver cancer and HCV-related mortality when HCV is eradicated, it is critically important to identify persons with HCV and link them to appropriate care.