RESEARCH ARTICLE
The Magnitude and associated factors of Helicobacter Pylori Infection among Dyspeptic Patients at the Arba Minch General Hospital in Southern Ethiopia
Dagninet Alelign1, *, Goshu Furo1, Maykil Degu1, Dagimawie Tadesse1, Gebre Kayta1, Aschalew Kidanewold1
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2023Volume: 17
E-location ID: e187428582306130
Publisher ID: e187428582306130
DOI: 10.2174/18742858-v17-e230711-2022-35
Article History:
Received Date: 10/11/2022Revision Received Date: 28/03/2023
Acceptance Date: 31/05/2023
Electronic publication date: 29/12/2023
Collection year: 2023
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background:
Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a major public health problem, with a higher prevalence reported in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Persistent H. pylori infection could result in chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcers, and subsequently gastric carcinoma. However, the burden of the infection varies within and between countries.
Methods:
An institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 422 adult dyspeptic patients attended at Arba Minch General Hospital from March 1st to June 30th, 2022. Pretested structured questionnaires were used to collect socio-demographic characteristics, clinical information, and other related factors for H. pylori infection. Stool samples were analyzed using the H. pylori fecal antigen rapid test kit. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 25. The p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
The overall magnitude of H. pylori was found to be 32.2% (136/422), with a 95% CI = (27.7-36.5). The highest proportion of H. pylori occurred in male study participants (55.1%) and in participants aged 31-40 years (42.6%). H. pylori stool antigen positivity was significantly associated with alcohol consumption [AOR = 1.87, 95% CI: (1.06-3.29)], smoking cigarettes [AOR = 2.75, 95% CI: (1.43-5.27)], and hand washing practice after the toilet [AOR = 3.02, 95% CI: (1.41-6.48)].
Conclusion:
Overall, a considerable magnitude of H. pylori was identified in the setting. Alcohol consumption, smoking cigarettes, and hand washing practice after using the toilet were found to be statistically significantly associated with H. pylori infection. Health education is therefore essential, particularly regarding societal lifestyle changes and knowledge of the potential sources of infection and H. pylori transmission.
