Knowledge and awareness level of Helicobacter pylori infection among medical students in Umm Al-Qura University: A cross-sectional electronic survey

Abstract

Background and aims: Helicobacter pylori are a significant pathogen that can lead to various complications such as gastric cancer and peptic ulcer. Identifying the infection pattern will help in early diagnosis and treatment to avoid serious complications. Accordingly, our study is aimed to evaluate the understanding in level between students of medical College at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU). Methods: An online descriptive cross-sectional survey was distributed in March 2022. The questionnaire was administered to all medical students from second to sixth grade who study in UQU during the 2021-2022 academic year. Results: Overall, there were 334 participants from the second to the sixth year students involved in the survey. Most of the participants' age ranged from 21-and 24-years old, representing 68.8%, and most of the participating students were males, representing 67.06%. Students from fifthyear medical students had higher responses representing 33.23%, than in other academic years. In addition, the association between students with a previous positive history of H-pylori and a poor level of H-pylori knowledge was significantly positive (P-value, 0.003). Conclusion: The Early detection and intervention of H-pylori are significant in preventing serious complications. However, our findings indicate that students are not informed about basic knowledge of H-pylori, so we suggest further extensive educational campaigns.