Prevalence and risk factors ofHelicobacter pyloriinfection among children in Kuichong Subdistrict of Shenzhen City, China

Abstract

Background Helicobacter pylori infection is a significant burden to the public health in China as it can lead to various gastric diseases including peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Since most infections occurred during childhood, it is therefore necessary to understand the prevalence and risk determinants of this bacterial infection in children. Herewith, we conducted a cross-sectional study in the Kuichong Subdistrict of Shenzhen City to assess the prevalence and risk factors of H. pylori infection among children. Methods From September 2018 to October 2018, 1,355 children aged 6–12 years from four primary schools in the Kuichong Subdistrict of Shenzhen City were recruited. These children were screened for H. pylori infection using the 13C-urea breath test. In addition, parents were requested to fill out a standardized questionnaire. The chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for H. pylori. Results Among 1,355 children recruited in this study, 226 (16.7%; 95% CI [14.7–18.7]) were positive of H. pylori infection. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified six factors significantly associated with H. pylori infection children including parent(s) with tertiary education level (OR: 0.64; 95% CI [0.46–0.89]), testing bottle feed temperature using the mouth (OR: 1.79; 95% CI [1.19–2.68]), sharing of cutlery between the feeding person and young children during meals (OR: 1.84; 95% CI [1.22–2.78]), eating fruit after peeling (OR: 2.56; 95% CI [1.4–4.71]), frequent dining out (OR: 3.13; 95% CI [1.46–6.68]) and snacking (OR: 1.43; 95% CI [1.01–2.01]). Conclusions Overall, better educated parent(s) played a protective role against the acquisition of H. pylori infection in children. Testing bottle feed temperature using the mouth, cutlery sharing between the feeding person and young children, and snacking posed a lower but significant risk for H. pylori infection. Only eating peeled fruits and frequent dining out were associated with greater infection risks.

Factors Associated With Helicobacter Pylori Infection Among School-Aged Children From a High Prevalence Area in Vietnam

“…This inverse association was also comparable to a study of Nguyet et al conducted in the North of Vietnam, which indicated low parental education as a risk factor of acquiring H. pylori [ 22 ]. This finding was also consistent with other reports from China [ 23 ], Pakistan [ 24 ], Iran [ 25 ] which also pointed that children whose parents had a lower education level were significantly at a higher risk of H. pylori infection. In addition, our study found that pupils with parents who completed only primary school had a higher prevalence than those with parents who completed a higher educational degree.…”

Analysis of Risk Factors for the Recurrence of Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Baoding Children Aged 4 - 16 Years

“…Particularly, families with low education levels, rural residence, and low incomes often lack sufficient health knowledge, pay less attention to children's illnesses, and maintain relatively poor hygiene standards. Most of these families share tableware during meals, which are major contributors to the recurrence of H. pylori infection (27,28).…”

Frecuencia de la infección por Helicobacter pylori en pacientes que requirieron endoscopia digestiva en siete unidades de tres subregiones de Antioquia

“…Varios estudios demuestran que la primoinfección se adquiere durante la primera infancia y la principal forma de transmisión ocurre de persona a persona en el entorno intrafamiliar (39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46) . Por tanto, son necesarias nuevas investigaciones en la población pediátrica en Antioquia para comparar los hallazgos obtenidos con otros estudios en infantes, porque no se descarta que la infección la hayan adquirido en su niñez o adolescencia, situación común en países en desarrollo como Colombia (47)(48)(49) .…”