A Survey on Knowledge and Testing Rate of Hepatitis C in the General Population of South Korea.

Background/Aims To eliminate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by 2030, improving the public knowledge of and accessibility to HCV screening and treatment is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and testing rate of HCV and the opinions about the inclusion of the HCV test in the Nation Health Examination among the general population of South Korea. Methods A telephone interview survey was conducted by an independent research company using a 16 item-questionnaire (demographic, knowledge on HCV, testing rate and its result, necessity of screening) during May 2019. The sample population consisted of 1,003 Korean adult residents adjusted by age, gender and area according to the standard Korean population in 2019. Results Among the 1,003 participants (498 men and 505 women, mean age of 47.9 years), 56.4% recognized HCV; 44.4% understood HCV is transmittable; and 56.4% thought HCV is curable by medication. Testing for anti-HCV was reported by 91 people (9.1%); among them, 10 people (11.0%) reported a positive result, and eight people were treated. The common reasons for HCV testing were a health check-up (58.5%), a physician's recommendation (11.0%) and elevated liver enzymes (10.7%). The HCV testing rate was significantly low in the young age group with those in their 20s (2.3%), but the people in their 30s and above had a similar testing rate from 9% to 12.9% according to increasing age. The majority (75.1%) agreed to HCV screening by integration into the National Health Examination System. Conclusions The level of knowledge on HCV is suboptimal, and the self-reported testing rate of HCV is less than 10%, but once diagnosed, the treatment rate seems to be high in South Korea. More active campaigns and effective screening are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]