To Correlate the Seroprevalence of Transfusion-Transmissible Infections (TTIs) with Factors such as Age, Gender, Education, Occupation, Type of Donor, Frequency of Donations, and Body Mass Index (BMI)

Abstract

Blood transfusion plays a pivotal role in modern healthcare; however, the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) remains a critical public health concern, particularly in developing nations. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of major TTIs—Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Syphilis—and to correlate infection rates with demographic and donation-related factors, including age, gender, donor type, frequency of donation, and Body Mass Index (BMI). A total of 941 blood donors were screened at NIMS Hospital Blood Centre, Jaipur, between November 2024 and December 2025, using standard ELISA-based methods and rapid serological assays.

The overall TTI seroprevalence was 4.36%, with HBV being the most prevalent infection (1.49%), followed by Syphilis (1.28%), HCV (0.85%), and HIV (0.74%). No malaria-positive cases were observed. Age showed a statistically significant association with HBV, HCV, and HIV positivity (p < 0.05), with donors aged 26–35 years identified as the highest-risk group. Most infections occurred among male, replacement, and first-time donors, emphasizing the vulnerability of these subpopulations. BMI demonstrated a marginal correlation with HBV seropositivity (p ≈ 0.049), suggesting possible indirect links between metabolic status and infection susceptibility. Gender did not show significant influence on infection rates (p = 1.000).

These findings lead to the rejection of the null hypothesis, confirming that selected demographic and donation-related variables significantly influence TTI seroprevalence. The study underscores the need for enhanced risk-based donor selection policies, expansion of voluntary repeat donor pools, strengthened awareness and counseling programs, and strategic implementation of advanced testing technologies such as Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) to further reduce residual risks. Increasing public education and donor screening vigilance will be essential to ensure sustained safety and quality of the blood supply in India.