Epidemiological study of hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer‐Ahmad province (Iran) from 2008 to 2021: A cross‐sectional study

Background and Aims Viral hepatitis is one of the top five reasons people die from infections all around the world. The present study aimed to assess the epidemiological features of hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer‐Ahmad province. Methods The data were obtained via the census method from the registered hepatitis B and hepatitis C data in the reportable disease care system of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences. The collected data are the result of serological tests. The χ2 test was used to evaluate the important risk factors for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The joinpoint regression was performed to investigate the trend of HBV and HCV in recent years. Results Here, 1270 cases of hepatitis B and C were identified and reported in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer‐Ahmad province from 2008 to 2021. The median age of patients was 38 (interquartile range: 31–51), varying significantly according to the type of hepatitis. The most common hepatitis in males was hepatitis C and in females, hepatitis B. Regarding the place of residence, HBV and HCV were both more prevalent in urban areas. The age group of 25–34 years has the highest prevalence of HBV and HCV. According to the joinpoint regression analysis, there is a decrease in the 14‐year trend of incidence rate due to total hepatitis B and C: the annual percent change was −5.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: −8.4 to −1.9, p = 0.005) for hepatitis B and −0.2% (95% CI: −10.7 to 11.6, p = 0.976) for hepatitis C. Conclusion This study shows the incidence rate of hepatitis B has been decreasing during the years of study but this trend has been stable for hepatitis C. Also, the highest number of cases of hepatitis B and C were reported in the age groups of 25–34 years. Hence, preventive interventions are vital in reducing the burden of these diseases.