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Awareness of Hepatitis C Virus Seropositivity and Chronic Infection in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

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Abstract

Few population-based studies have assessed awareness of hepatitis C virus (HCV) seropositivity and chronic infection. We report awareness of HCV seropositivity and chronic infection and correlates of awareness in a multi-city (Bronx, Miami, Chicago, and San Diego) community-dwelling population sample of United States (US) Hispanics/Latinos recruited during 2008–2011. Included were 260 HCV-seropositive participants, among whom 190 had chronic HCV. Among those with chronic HCV, 46 % had been told by a doctor that they had liver disease and 32 % had been told that they had HCV-related liver disease. Among those with chronic HCV who also lacked health insurance (37 % of those with chronic HCV), only 8 % had been told that they had HCV-related liver disease. As compared with the uninsured, those with insurance were over five times more likely to be aware of having HCV-related liver disease (44 %). Sex, age, education, city of residence, and birthplace were not associated with HCV awareness. Less than half of Hispanics/Latinos were aware of their HCV chronic infection. Lack of health insurance may be an important barrier to HCV awareness in this population.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the staff and participants of HCHS/SOL for their important contributions. Investigators website—http://www.cscc.unc.edu/hchs/. The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos was carried out as a collaborative study supported by contracts from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to the University of North Carolina [N01-HC65233], University of Miami [N01-HC65234], Albert Einstein College of Medicine [N01-HC65235], Northwestern University [N01-HC65236], and San Diego State University [N01-HC65237]. The following Institutes/Centers/Offices contribute to the HCHS/SOL through a transfer of funds to the NHLBI: National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communications Disorders, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the Office of Dietary Supplements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Belfer Building, Room 1308, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Mark H. Kuniholm, Molly Jung & Robert C. Kaplan

  2. National Centre of Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

    Julia Del Amo

  3. Institute for Behavioral and Community Health, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Gregory A. Talavera

  4. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Bharat Thyagarajan

  5. Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, USA

    Ronald C. Hershow

  6. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Oriana M. Damas

Authors
  1. Mark H. Kuniholm
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  2. Molly Jung
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  3. Julia Del Amo
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  4. Gregory A. Talavera
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  5. Bharat Thyagarajan
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  6. Ronald C. Hershow
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  7. Oriana M. Damas
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  8. Robert C. Kaplan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark H. Kuniholm.

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Kuniholm, M.H., Jung, M., Del Amo, J. et al. Awareness of Hepatitis C Virus Seropositivity and Chronic Infection in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). J Immigrant Minority Health 18, 1257–1265 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0350-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0350-1

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