The association between maternal hepatitis B e antigen status, as a proxy for perinatal transmission, and the risk of hepatitis B e antigenaemia in Gambian children

Table 4 Risk factors for HBeAg positivity in HBsAg-positive children (3 ^rd generation)

Variables	Prevalence of HBeAg (+)	Crude odds ratios			Adjusted odds ratios^2,3
		OR	95% CI	P	OR	95% CI	P
Maternal HBsAg (2^nd generation)
Negative	83.3% (5/6)	1.0		0.5	1.0		0.5
Positive	65.4% (34/52)	0.4	0.1-4.2		0.4	0.1-5.3
Maternal HBeAg (2^nd generation)
Negative	60.0% (12/20)	1.0		0.5	1.0		0.04
Positive	71.1% (27/38)	1.6	0.4-6.1		4.5	1.0-19.5
No of older siblings with positive HBsAg
0	65.6% (21/32)	1.0		0.7¹	1.0		0.9¹
1	66.7% (10/15)	1.0	0.3-3.8		1.1	0.2-7.2
≥2	72.7% (8/11)	1.4	0.3-6.4		1.2	0.0-47.5
No. of older siblings with positive HBeAg
0	64.1% (25/39)	1.0		0.4¹	1.0		0.8¹
1	69.2% (9/13)	1.3	0.3-4.9		1.1	0.3-4.9
≥2	83.3% (5/6)	2.8	0.3-27.7		2.0	0.1-42.7

¹Linear test for trend.
²Model included maternal HBsAg, maternal HBeAg, number of older siblings with HBsAg, number of older siblings with HBeAg, year of birth, and total sibship size.
³Wald test from generalised estimating equations.

ISSN: 1471-2458