Predictors of hepatitis B vaccination in women prisoners in two prisons in England
Predictors of hepatitis B vaccination in women prisoners in two prisons in England
Background: Hepatitis B is an important public health issue, especially in the female prison population. The high prevalence in this population is largely accounted for by the high rates of injecting drug use and the fact that these women are more likely to exchange sex for drugs or money and practice unprotected sex. There is a national programme in English prisons to vaccinate everyone against Hepatitis B. This study aimed to investigate whether women who had been in prison before were more likely to have been vaccinated against hepatitis B and whether contact with community services was more likely to predict hepatitis B vaccination.
Methods: a questionnaire survey of new entrants into two women's prisons in England.
Results: four hundred and eighty seven out of 613 women approached completed the questionnaire and gave complete data on hepatitis B vaccination status, giving a response rate of 79.4%. One hundred and thirty three women (27.3%) had received at least three vaccinations against hepatitis B. Previous imprisonment and intravenous drug use were independent predictors of vaccination. Six months or more in prison greatly increased an individual's odds of being immunized [odds ratio 12.01 (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.53-26.10)]. Registration with a general practitioner (GP), contact with drug or alcohol services and exchanging money or goods for sex were not independently associated with vaccination status.
Conclusions: prisons play an important role in the delivery of hepatitis B vaccination. However, this should not prevent providers of health services making greater efforts to engage this marginalized group and to ensure that they receive an appropriate level of healthcare in the community.
Adult, Aged, England/epidemiology, Female, Forecasting, Health Care Surveys, Hepatitis B/epidemiology, Hepatitis B Vaccines/administration & dosage, Humans, Immunization Programs/statistics & numerical data, Middle Aged, Prisoners/statistics & numerical data, Prisons/statistics & numerical data, Surveys and Questionnaires, Time Factors, Vaccination/statistics & numerical data, Women's Health
429-33
Plugge, E.H.
b64d2086-6cf2-4fae-98bf-6aafa3115b35
Yudkin, P.L.
9bb20e6f-b847-4318-bbab-4af5b0baf143
Douglas, N.
193de88a-efa2-4d34-a88a-bd8fcca3f9e6
Plugge, E.H.
b64d2086-6cf2-4fae-98bf-6aafa3115b35
Yudkin, P.L.
9bb20e6f-b847-4318-bbab-4af5b0baf143
Douglas, N.
193de88a-efa2-4d34-a88a-bd8fcca3f9e6
Plugge, E.H., Yudkin, P.L. and Douglas, N.
(2007)
Predictors of hepatitis B vaccination in women prisoners in two prisons in England.
Journal of Public Health, 29 (4), .
(doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdm059).
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis B is an important public health issue, especially in the female prison population. The high prevalence in this population is largely accounted for by the high rates of injecting drug use and the fact that these women are more likely to exchange sex for drugs or money and practice unprotected sex. There is a national programme in English prisons to vaccinate everyone against Hepatitis B. This study aimed to investigate whether women who had been in prison before were more likely to have been vaccinated against hepatitis B and whether contact with community services was more likely to predict hepatitis B vaccination.
Methods: a questionnaire survey of new entrants into two women's prisons in England.
Results: four hundred and eighty seven out of 613 women approached completed the questionnaire and gave complete data on hepatitis B vaccination status, giving a response rate of 79.4%. One hundred and thirty three women (27.3%) had received at least three vaccinations against hepatitis B. Previous imprisonment and intravenous drug use were independent predictors of vaccination. Six months or more in prison greatly increased an individual's odds of being immunized [odds ratio 12.01 (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.53-26.10)]. Registration with a general practitioner (GP), contact with drug or alcohol services and exchanging money or goods for sex were not independently associated with vaccination status.
Conclusions: prisons play an important role in the delivery of hepatitis B vaccination. However, this should not prevent providers of health services making greater efforts to engage this marginalized group and to ensure that they receive an appropriate level of healthcare in the community.
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e-pub ahead of print date: 18 December 2007
Keywords:
Adult, Aged, England/epidemiology, Female, Forecasting, Health Care Surveys, Hepatitis B/epidemiology, Hepatitis B Vaccines/administration & dosage, Humans, Immunization Programs/statistics & numerical data, Middle Aged, Prisoners/statistics & numerical data, Prisons/statistics & numerical data, Surveys and Questionnaires, Time Factors, Vaccination/statistics & numerical data, Women's Health
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 485335
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/485335
ISSN: 1741-3842
PURE UUID: 7911775a-4845-48c1-b697-af75e1733d31
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Date deposited: 04 Dec 2023 17:46
Last modified: 11 Jul 2024 02:06
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Author:
P.L. Yudkin
Author:
N. Douglas
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