Table 1.
Demographics
| n (%)* | |
|---|---|
| Age | |
| Mean (SD) (IQR) | 44 (10.1) (37–52) |
| Gender | |
| Male | 67 (56.8) |
| Identity | |
| New Zealand European | 84 (71.2) |
| New Zealand Maori | 12 (10.2) |
| Other/more than 1 | 24 (18.6) |
| Highest level of education | |
| Primary or secondary school: left without school certificate | 48 (40.7) |
| School certificate without university entrance | 24 (20.3) |
| School certificate with university entrance | 10 (8.5) |
| Attended or completed university | 19 (16.1) |
| Diploma or trade certificate | 17 (14.4) |
| Main source of income | |
| Benefits (sickness, invalid & domestic purposes) | 76 (66.7) |
| Full time work | 25 (21.9) |
| Part time/casual | 8 (7) |
| Other | 4 (3.5) |
| Length of attendance at the clinic | |
| <6 months | 29 (24.6) |
| 7 months or more | 89 (75.4) |
*Valid percent.
Table 2.
Where did you first hear about the hepatitis C clinic?
| n (%)* | |
|---|---|
| Rodger Wright Centre (local Needle Exchange Program) | 39 (33.3) |
| Hepatitis C Resource Centre** | 12 (10.3) |
| General practitioner | 5 (4.3) |
| Family member | 4 (3.4) |
| Friend | 20 (17.1) |
| Methadone clinic | 12 (10.3) |
| Posters/advertisement | 9 (7.7) |
| Other | 16 (13.7) |
*Valid percent. **A community-based organisation providing information, education, support and advocacy for those infected or affected by hepatitis C.
Table 3.
Self reported hepatitis C status and location of most recent test for participant who reported being tested for hepatitis C (n=108)
| n (%) n* | |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis C status | |
| Hepatitis C positive | 77 (72.6) |
| Hepatitis C negative | 9 (8.5) |
| Cleared spontaneously | 9 (8.5) |
| Cleared through treatment | 9 (8.5) |
| Don’t know | 2 (1.9) |
| Location of last hepatitis C test | |
| Hepatitis C community clinic | 64 (61) |
| General practitioner | 11 (10.5) |
| Hospital | 25 (23.8) |
| Prison | 2 (1.9) |
| Alcohol and drug service | 3 (2.9) |
*Valid percent.
Table 4.
Reasons for attending the clinic for the first time
| n (%) n=119* | |
|---|---|
| For information about hepatitis C | 36 (30) |
| To have a test for hepatitis C | 44 (36.7) |
| For hepatitis C treatment information | 38 (31.7) |
| For support | 28 (23.3) |
| To look after general health | 30 (25.2) |
| Other | 8 (6.7) |
*Valid percent. More than one option could be selected. Values do not add up to 100%.
Table 5.
Changes in lifestyle habits since attending the clinic
| Participants answered ‘yes’ n (%)* | |
|---|---|
| Changed your diet | 47 (48) |
| Reduced/cut out alcohol | 61 (72.6) |
| Increased level of exercise | 42 (44.2) |
| Used complimentary/alternative medicines for hepatitis C | 18 (19.1) |
| Had hepatitis C check-ups | 74 (71.8) |
*Valid percent. More than one option could be selected. Values do not add up to 100%.
Table 6.
Knowledge of hepatitis C
| Correctly answered n (%)* | |
|---|---|
| People living with hepatitis C can damage their liver when they drink alcohol | 114 (97.4) |
| There is a hepatitis C vaccine that can be used to prevent people from getting infected with the hepatitis C virus | 97 (89) |
| Studies show that 60% of people who inject drugs with ‘used needles’ are infected with hepatitis C | 108 (93.9) |
| People can live many years without knowing that they have been infected with the virus | 114 (98.3) |
| Some treatment for hepatitis C, such as interferon, can cause depression as a side effect in some patients | 109 (97.3) |
| Using ‘new’ (i.e., never used before) needles, syringes and equipment reduces the risk of being infected with hepatitis C | 109 (94.8) |
| Coughing and sneezing can spread hepatitis C | 111 (97.4) |
| Hepatitis C treatments can result in the hepatitis C being completely removed (or cleared from one’s blood) | 100 (89.3) |
| The hepatitis C virus can spread from shared kitchen cups, plates or utensils | 103 (90.4) |
| Once someone’s hepatitis C virus has been completely treated and cleared they cannot get re-infected with hepatitis C | 107 (94.7) |
| People can get infected with hepatitis C from tattoos and body piercing | 114 (98.3) |
| Hepatitis C cannot be transmitted by hugs or handshakes | 116 (100) |
| Some hepatitis C genotypes respond better to treatment than others | 108 (96.4) |
*Valid percent.
Table 7.
Sources of referral to a specialist in hepatitis C treatment
| Of the participants who reported being tested for hepatitis C | n (%)* |
|---|---|
| Methadone clinic | 13 (24.1) |
| GP | 37 (54.4) |
| Hepatitis C clinic | 42 (62.7) |
| Other | 9 (23.1) |
| Never received a referral | 12 (27.9) |
*Valid percent. Questions were not mutually exclusive.