{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:39:14Z","timestamp":1785407954664,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,10]],"date-time":"2024-09-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1725926400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosglobalpublichealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Glob Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Despite the availability of an effective vaccine against viral hepatitis B infection, it remains prevalent, highly transmissible especially through mother-to-child, life-threatening, and a major public health challenge. A positive Hepatitis B e-Antigen (HBeAg) mother has a 90% risk of transmitting the virus to the unborn child in the perinatal period. This study sought to determine the prevalence and risk of Hepatitis B infection among pregnant women in the Wa Municipality of Ghana. A cross-sectional study employing systematic random sampling was conducted among 183 consented pregnant women who went for antenatal care in nine health facilities in the Wa Municipality. A structured validated questionnaire was used to collect information about socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics, awareness of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) transmission and its prevention. Blood samples (3.0 mls) were collected from each participant to test for HBV serum markers using a Wondfo One Step HBV rapid immunochromatographic assay (Catalog number W003) for the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). We conducted descriptive statistics including the prevalence and used multivariable logistic regression to determine the risk of Hepatitis B among study participants. Data was analysed using Stata\/SE 15. About 20.2% of the 183 pregnant women screened tested positive for HBsAg. Generally, compared with younger pregnant women, older (&gt; = 25) pregnant women were &gt;9 times less likely to test positive for both chronic Hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) and (HBeAg) Hepatitis B infections. However, pregnant women in polygamous relationship were more likely to test positive for both (HBcAb) and (HBsAg and HBeAg) Hepatitis B infections compared with those in monogamous relationship. In a multivariable analysis, pregnant women in a polygamous relationships were about 5 times more likely to test positive for HBsAg (AOR = 4.61, 95% CI: 2.06\u20139.89) and HBcAb (AOR = 4.89, 95% CI:1.52\u20136.81) and HBeAg (AOR = 4.62, 95% CI:1.21\u20136.39) compared with those in a monogamous relationship. This study highlights a high HBsAg prevalence among pregnant women with those in polygamous relationship and younger age more likely to test positive. Facility and community-based health services should emphasize the need for regular screening, education, and vaccination of pregnant women, especially those at high risk, to prevent mother-to-child transmission of viral hepatitis B.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgph.0002447","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,10]],"date-time":"2024-09-10T17:22:12Z","timestamp":1725988932000},"page":"e0002447","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pgph.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Correlates of Hepatitis B infection in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Wa Municipality, Ghana"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"Emmanuel Anebakwo","family":"Awiah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5580-4909","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Simon","family":"Aabalekuu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2791-0103","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Frederick","family":"Dun-Dery","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5551-5031","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Elvis","family":"Dun-Dery","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2703-8856","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Fidelis","family":"Bayor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0167-5512","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Martin Nyaaba","family":"Adokiya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barnabas","family":"Bessing","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"pgph.0002447.ref001","unstructured":"World Health Organization, Hepatitis B Key Facts. 2024."},{"issue":"1\u20132","key":"pgph.0002447.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1016\/j.medmal.2014.10.008","article-title":"Prevalence of hepatitis B virus serologic markers in pregnant patients in Antananarivo, Madagascar","volume":"45","author":"T. 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