The magnitude and factors associated with chronic liver disease in Ethiopia: a cross- sectional study

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> Background: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a severe public health problem that affects 1.5 billion people globally. It was Ethiopia's seventh leading cause of death in 2019, with 24 fatalities per 100,000 people. <bold>Objective:</bold> This study aimed to determine the magnitude and factors associated with medically confirmed chronic liver diseases among the adult population at selected public health hospitals in the West Arsi zone in 2022. <bold>Methodology: </bold>An institution-based descriptive cross-sectional study design with a combination of structured interviews was employed from February 20, 2022, to July 6, 2022, G.C. There were 384 respondents selected using a systematic random sampling method. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with CLD. <bold>Results: </bold>A total of 384 adult participants took part, and 100% of them responded. The magnitude of medically confirmed chronic liver disease among adults in the west Arsi zone is 60.2%, which is higher in males (37.26%). Having a family history of chronic liver disease (AOR = 5.23; 95% CI: 2.59–12.13), drinking more than 20 ml of alcohol per day (AOR = 13.53; 95% CI: 5.50–33.29), smoking cigarettes (AOR = 4.15; 95% CI: 1.70–10.14), chewing khat (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.13–4.77), eating a high-fat diet (AOR = 3.97; 95% CI: 1.67–9.42), being infected with the viral hepatitis B and C virus (AOR = 18.15; 95% CI: 7.47–44.09), having comorbidities (AOR = 3.58; 95% CI: 1.65–7.77), using herbal medication (AOR = 9.84; 95% CI: 4.58–21.13), and being overweight (AOR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.05–6.11) all remained statistically significant. <bold>Conclusions: </bold>The magnitude of medically confirmed chronic liver diseases in the western Arsi zone is 60.2%, which needs much more attention from the Ministry of Health and local authorities for prevention and interventions focused on behavioral changes, lifestyle modifications, and strengthening viral hepatitis screening activities to tackle these modifiable associated factors with consideration regarding family history of chronic liver diseases.