Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Dr. Manoj Sharma

Abstract

The increasing number of hepatitis B-related deaths in the Armed Forces of Liberia was due to the lack of understanding of the associated risks with the disease. Gender, substance use, and condom use have been researched as related risk factors for hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). The goal of this study was to determine if gender (male or female) and risk factors (substance use, alcohol abuse, and condom use) predicted hepatitis B infections after adjusting for age, marital status, education, and military rank among Liberia military population. The theory that grounded this study was Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological model (SEM) which posits that the intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and policy influence human behaviors. A binomial logistic regression analysis was used to determine if gender, substance use, and condom use predicted HBV infection using a secondary data set. This result showed that gender and marital status were statistically significant. Men had 2.79 times higher odds of been infected with HBV infection than women (OR = 2.79, p = 0.048, [95% CI = 1.01, 7.72]). Participants who were not married had only 33.7% reduced chance of being HBV infected than those who were married (OR =.66, p = 0.031, [95% CI = .46, .96]). Future researchers should conduct primary studies to understand specific factors associated with the disease. Implications for positive social change begin with the dissemination of this study's results to the soldiers, local health authorities, and during scientific conferences. Health promotion and outreach programs based on these findings could change soldiers’ behaviors that may reduce the disease impact, improve forces health, and promote positive social change.

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