Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, exposure, and immunity among Asian American college students as a basis for evaluating HBV screening and vaccination policy. Participants and Methods: Self-identified Asian American college students aged 18 years or older were examined. Serological tests of HBV surface antigens, antibodies to HBV core antigens (anti-HBc), and antibodies to HBV surface antigens (anti-HBs) were used to determine HBV infection and immunization prevalence. Results: Among US-born students (n = 66), none was infected with HBV, 68% (n = 45) had immunity from vaccination, and 1 student had evidence of past exposure to HBV. Among foreign-born students (n = 142), 4% (n = 5) had evidence of chronic HBV infection, 62% (n = 88) had immunity from vaccination, and 19% (n = 27) had results indicating past exposure to HBV. Asian American college students showed very little knowledge of HBV vaccination; 43% reported that they had received vaccination, whereas 50% did not know whether they had received it or not. Conclusions: The prevalence of current and past HBV infection among foreign-born Asian American college students is significantly higher (p < .01), than US-born students. The lack of awareness of their HBV-infected status points out the importance of routine HBV screening of high-risk populations such as Asian students.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by Healey Grant from University of Massachusetts Boston. We would like to thank the Asian American Students Association at UMass Boston.