Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26987556›Full record

SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2016

Hepatitis B in Ghana: a systematic review & meta-analysis of prevalence studies (1995-2015).

Richard Ofori-Asenso, Akosua Adom Agyeman

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 125 papers, 19 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
125citing papers in PubMed, 19 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

125 citing papers in PubMed, 19 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Pooled it
  10. Pooled it
  11. Pooled it
  12. Pooled it
  13. Pooled it
  14. Pooled it
  15. Pooled it
  16. Pooled it
  17. Pooled it
  18. Pooled it
  19. Pooled it
  20. Trial

65 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Richard Ofori-AsensoResearch Unit, Health Policy Consult, P. O. Box WJ 537, Weija-Accra, Ghana. asensox215@gmail.com.
Akosua Adom AgyemanResearch Unit, Health Policy Consult, P. O. Box WJ 537, Weija-Accra, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough, chronic hepatitis B (HBV) is considered to be of significant public health importance in Ghana, not many reviews detailing the burden (prevalence) of the disease have been conducted. This study was aimed at summarizing the available information and to make an accurate estimate of HBV infection prevalence in Ghana over the last two decades (1995-2015).

methodsA systematic search was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Africa Journals Online (AJOL) databases to retrieve primary studies published between 1st January 1995 and 4th October 2015, assessing the prevalence of HBV among populations in Ghana. This was supplemented by a manual search of retrieved references.

resultsThirty (30) studies across all the ten (10) regions of Ghana and involving an overall population size of 105,435 were analyzed. The national prevalence of HBV as determined by HBsAg seropositivity was 12.3%. HBV prevalence among voluntary blood donors (VBDs), replacement blood donors (RBDs) and pregnant women were 10.8, 12.7 and 13.1% respectively. HBV infection prevalence was highest among studies published within the period 1995-2002 (17.3%), followed by those published within 2003-2009 (14.7%) and the lowest prevalence rate being recorded across studies published in the period 2010-2015 (10.2%). Regional prevalence were determined for Ashanti, Greater Accra, Eastern, Northern, central and Brong-Ahafo regions as 13.1, 10.6, 13.6, 13.1, 11.5 and 13.7% respectively. No aggregate data were derived for Volta, Western, Upper East and Upper West regions. Higher prevalence of HBV infection was attained for rural (13.3%) compared to urban settings (12.2%). Across the country, highest HBV infection prevalence rates were recorded in persons within the age group 16-39 years.

conclusionHepatitis B infection is clearly an important public health problem in Ghana. The burden of the disease as dictated by a high prevalence rate calls for urgent public health interventions and strategic policy directions to controlling the disease to avert any potential future explosion.

Indexed as

AfricaAge FactorsCross-Sectional StudiesGhanaHepatitis B, ChronicHepatitis B Surface AntigensHepatitis B virusHumansPrevalenceRural PopulationSex FactorsHepatitis B Surface AntigensEndemicityGhanaHepatitis BMeta-analysisViral infections

Identifiers

PMID26987556
PMCPMC4797341

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.