Factors associated with voluntary testing for HBV in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Florence Wullo Anfaara; Kilian Nasung Atuoye; Paul Mkandawire; Isaac Luginaah

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.09.011

Factors associated with voluntary testing for HBV in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Health Place. 2018 Nov:54:85-91. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.09.011. Epub 2018 Sep 22.

Authors

Florence Wullo Anfaara¹, Kilian Nasung Atuoye², Paul Mkandawire³, Isaac Luginaah⁴

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Hazards and Health Lab, Department of Geography, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: fanfaara@uwo.ca.
² Environmental Hazards and Health Lab, Department of Geography, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: katouye@uwo.ca.
³ Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Human Rights Program, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. Electronic address: paul.mkandawire@carleton.ca.
⁴ Department of Geography, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: iluginaa@uwo.ca.

PMID: 30248596
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.09.011

Abstract

This study examined the role of health facilities on testing for Hepatitis B virus in a policy context where screening is only available at a cost. We fitted multivariate multinomial logistic regression models to cross-sectional data (n = 1374) collected from Upper West Region of Ghana. The analysis showed that approximately 28% of respondents reported ever testing for HBV. Although source of healthcare influenced HBV testing, traders (RRR = 0.29, p ≤ 0.001) and farmers (RRR = 0.34, p ≤ 0.01) were significantly less likely to test voluntarily. Wealth generally predicted voluntary testing, although less so for mandatory testing. The findings highlight the need for free HBV services targeting the very poor, especially those who use community-level health facilities as their primary source of care.

Keywords: Ghana; Hepatitis B virus; Primary health care; Upper West Region; Voluntary testing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Delivery of Health Care / economics*
Delivery of Health Care / organization & administration
Female
Ghana
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Hepatitis B virus / isolation & purification*
Hepatitis, Chronic / prevention & control*
Hepatitis, Chronic / therapy
Humans
Male
Mass Screening / methods*
Poverty*
Surveys and Questionnaires