| dc.description.abstract | Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 2% of the
deaths in Uganda are a result of liver diseases. In Adjumani district, a rural district in the West
Nile region, a substantial number of people seeking health services have Hepatitis B viral
infection and liver diseases. However, data on sonographic liver changes, an early marker of
liver disease, and the associated factors are lacking.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with sonographic liver changes
among healthy adults in Adjumani district.
Methods and materials: This was a cross-sectional population-based study. The study
population included 278 healthy adults aged 18 to 75 years who were selected using a
structured questionnaire that was administered by trained research assistants. Sonographic liver
changes were measured using shape, echogenicity, echo texture, margin smoothness,
vasculature, nodularity of the liver surface, and ascites. Data from 263 participants were
entered in Epi-Info version 3.0 and analysed using STATA version 15 at a 5% significance
level using quantitative methods of data analysis.
Results
There was a high (19.8%) of sonographic liver changes in Adjumani district. The study’s most
prevalent sonographic liver change was abnormal liver echogenicity. In males aged 50 years
and above, females who reported frequently using herbal medicines were significantly
associated with liver changes.
Significance
The study determined the prevalence and some of the factors associated with sonographic liver
changes in Adjumani district, which may be employed to inform context-specific interventions
for addressing liver diseases in the study area | en_US |
