Determinants of Hepatitis B Virus infection Acquisition among Apparently Healthy Pregnant Women Attending RCH Clinics in Ifakara, Tanzania

Introduction Hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infections remain major global public health concerns, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. During pregnancy, these infections are associated with adverse outcomes, including gestational diabetes, preterm labor, and low birth weight. Despite the availability of effective vaccines and antiviral therapy, awareness of HBV and HCV status among pregnant women in resource-limited settings remains low. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with HBV infections among pregnant women attending reproductive and child health (RCH) clinics at a tertiary health facility. Methodology and Results A cross-sectional study was conducted using simple random sampling to select 385 pregnant women. Data were collected using structured checklists and analyzed with SPSS. The majority of participants (66.2%) were aged 18–29, with most being married (63.9%). Nearly half (48.3%) were self-employed, and 46.2% had attained at least secondary education. Medical and behavioral risk factors were common: 55.3% reported a history of hospital admission, 34.5% had undergone surgery, and 29.9% had received blood transfusions. Additionally, 41.6% had tattoos or body piercings, and 70.7% reported having multiple sexual partners. Other notable findings included a history of sexually transmitted infections (25.7%), intravenous drug use (7.8%), and HIV positivity (14.3%). Despite these risk factors, only 0.52% reported a prior diagnosis of hepatitis C.

The findings emphasize the need for routine HBV and HCV screening in antenatal care, particularly for high-risk groups. Strengthening infection prevention, raising awareness, and integrating HBV and HCV testing into maternal health services could reduce transmission. Given the high prenatal care attendance (88.3%), policy changes supporting comprehensive screening and education Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences, Institutional Review Board. Approved study I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Data Availability All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors