ISSN 2326-7283
African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN 2326-7283 Vol. 3 (10), pp. 322-327 November, 2015. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Dangers of volatile substances abuse (VSA) and HBV as indicators for their incidence in Sudanese homeless persons in Khartoum State
*Zeinab C. Wek, Deng K. Omar and Manute Al-Bashir
Immunology in Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Accepted 18 October, 2015
Abstract
The prevalence of HBV among VSA homeless individual in Khartoum state is more than in non VSA individual. The aims of this study are: to identify the possible reasons that homeless individuals get into glue sniffing; to estimate the prevalence of viral hepatitis B disease among volatile substances abusers (VSA); to better understand the relationship between viral hepatitis B infections and the bad habits underlying these outcomes; and to estimate the STDs and sexual behaviors among the study population using reflections to questionnaire. A case control study was designed to address these relationships. The study targeted 30 VSA (Case) and 58 normal individuals (Control) in Khartoum state aged 10-17 years. Using a questionnaire, the data were collected and ELISA test for detection of HBV was carried out. The chi square test and odds ratio were used to obtain the statistical results of this research (the significant level (P value is less than 0.05)). The study found that 13.3% of cases and 8.6% of controls were infected by HBV. The relationships between the glue sniffing and the war, the broken family ties and the peer influence were highly significant (P < 0.01). However, the relationship between infection with HBV and glue sniffing were insignificant. Nevertheless, the relationship between infection with HBV and surgeries were significant in case group (P < 0.05). This study demonstrated that the main reasons for being homeless and get into glue sniffing are war, family break up and peer influence. We also concluded that the risk factors that lead to infection with STDs are common among the study population, leading to consequent outcomes like infection with HBV.
Key words: Shamasa street children in Sudan, volatile substances abuse (VSA), hepatitis B virus (HBV).