Fecoprevalence and determinants of helicobacter pylori infection among asymptomatic children in lebanon

ABSTRACT

Helicobacter pylori plays a major etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma, and mucosa associated lym-phoid tissue lymphoma. However, most of the infected subjects remain asymptomatic. The aim of this study is to establish fecoprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in a convenient non-probabilistic sample of asymptomatic Lebanese children. Four-hundred fourteen children aged between one month and 17 years of different socio-economic standards were selected for Helicobacter pylori antigen testing in stool. Demographic characteristics, health and nutritional status were obtained through a questionnaire. Fecoprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was 0.21 of whom 28.7% were between 0-3 years, 34.5% between 4-9 years and 36.8% between 10-17 years. Seventy-five [86.2%] of the feco-positive children were from low socioeconomic standards and 12 [13.8%] were from middle to high socioeconomic standards [p < 0.0001]. Environmental variables demonstrated higher frequency of fecopositivity in children living in overcrowded houses, lower family income and poor parental education [p<0.05]. Helicobacter pylori is prevalent in asymptomatic Lebanese children. Prevention is worthy by improving the levels of education and the standards of hygiene