Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs): how can we do better for this special population?

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is one of the major global public health problems. Based on the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II), it is estimated that 1.25 million people are HBV infected in the United States. However, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) were underrepresented in this survey, and studies on the community HBV screening reported 6-15% of HBV infection in this special population. This article systematically reviews recent research advances in the possible barriers of hepatitis B care in APIAs that can be classified into three major categories, i.e., provider-, patient-, and resource-related barriers. The article also provides an overview of multiple approaches to effectively reduce these barriers so that we can evolve better strategy and deliver appropriate care to this special population and eventually reduce health disparity of CHB in APIAs.