Nearly four million American are believed to be infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) with approximately 85% developing a chronic infection (Alter, 1997; National Institutes of Health [NIH], 1997). Approximately 30,000 new infections occur annually. This translates to a prevalence rate of approximately 1.8% in the general US population. Studies undertaken at various Veterans Affairs Medical Centers suggest a prevalence rate of 5-20%. At the present time, hepatitis C is felt to be responsible for 8,000 to 10,000 deaths annually, and it is expected that this number will triple over the next 10-20 years without effective treatment (NIH, 1997). The purpose of this research was three-fold: to describe the weighted prevalence of lifestyle behaviors (nutritional, physical exercise, alcohol use, tobacco use, illicit drug use, and sexual practices) and hepatitis C among male military veterans and the general nonveteran population, to compare crude and logistic regression adjusted prevalence odds ratios, and to develop a parsimonious model for increased risk of hepatitis C. A modification of Evans and Stoddart’s (1990) epidemiological framework was used to guide this study. The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) was utilized as the data source. Hepatitis C prevalence in male nonveterans was twice that of male military veterans (3.6% vs. 1.7%). No differences were seen in nutritional and physical exercise behaviors. Differences between the two groups were seen in tobacco and alcohol use, but no difference in illicit drug use. Military veterans had more lifetime sexual partners. Multivariate modeling found ‘single’ status, age 30 – 55 years, lower income, cocaine use, early age of sexual intercourse, and past hepatitis B infection as the greatest predictors of hepatitis C infections. This research will aid in developing better hepatitis C prevention programs in high-risk populations and assist healthcare practitioners in patient education and counseling.
Session #1223 - Graduate Student Poster Session
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)