Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among junior high school students in Grudziadz, Poland

Abstract

Background

The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among the junior high school students in city Grudziądz, Poland.

Materials and methods

A prospective cross‐sectional study among second junior high school students was conducted from September 2008 to June 2015 during seven consecutive school years. The studied group was 3241 students 13‐17 years old. The ¹³C‐urea breath test (UBT) was administered to all participants for current H. pylori infection. Clinical, sociodemographic, and hygienic risk factors for H. pylori positivity were analyzed in children with positive and negative UBT.

Results

Urea breath test was performed and results were obtained for 3067 of 3241 children, including 723 children (23.6%) with positive result (group 1) and 2344 children (76.4%) with negative result (group 2). The prevalence of H. pylori infection was not different in subsequent seven school years (P = 0.06) and depending on the gender (P = 0.57). In group 1 the cough and in group 2 the epigastric discomfort occurred more frequent (P = 0.04 and P = 0.002, respectively). In multivariate analysis, factors positively associated with prevalence of H. pylori were age >16 years (OR = 2.556; 95%CI 1.293‐5.025), living in old town district (OR = 1.374; 95%CI 1.097‐1.723), consumption of raw vegetables (OR 1.305; 95%CI 1.038‐1.642) or unboiled water (OR = 1.444; 95%CI 1.138‐1.832) and using collective catering facilities (OR 1.338; 95%CI 1.039‐1.724). Having a cat was protective against H. pylori (OR 0.78; 95%CI 0.614‐0.991).

Conclusions

Over the past 10 years, the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Polish adolescents has decreased. H. pylori infection remains problem closely associated with socioeconomic and sanitary conditions. Our results are important to develop prevention strategies for H. pylori‐related diseases.

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