PREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONG PATIENTS WITH GASTRITIS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is a major cause of chronic gastritis and remains an important public health concern, particularly in populations where inadequate sanitation, unsafe drinking water, and poor hygiene practices may facilitate transmission. Determining the prevalence and associated risk factors of H. pylori infection is important for developing effective preventive and clinical strategies.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and identify socio-demographic, environmental, hygiene-related, lifestyle, and medical factors associated with infection among patients presenting with gastritis.

Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of three months among 220 adult patients presenting with gastritis. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics, drinking-water sources, food consumption patterns, hygiene practices, household conditions, environmental sanitation, lifestyle behaviours, and medical history. Helicobacter pylori infection was determined using a rapid antibody test. Data were analysed using SPSS version 21.0. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the characteristics of the participants, while associations between H. pylori infection and potential risk factors were assessed using the chi-square test. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Of the 220 patients included in the study, 138 (62.7%) tested positive for Helicobacter pylori infection, while 82 (37.3%) were negative. The prevalence of infection was higher among participants exposed to unsafe or untreated drinking water, frequent consumption of street or unhygienically prepared food, inadequate hand-washing practices, overcrowded household conditions, and poor environmental sanitation. Participants using untreated tap water and those living in larger households demonstrated higher proportions of H. pylori positivity compared with their respective counterparts. Significant associations were observed between H. pylori infection and key environmental and hygiene-related factors, including drinking-water quality, food hygiene, hand-washing practices, household crowding, and environmental sanitation (p<0.05). The findings demonstrate a considerable burden of H. pylori infection among patients presenting with gastritis and highlight the contribution of potentially preventable environmental and behavioural risk factors.

Conclusion: The study identified a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among patients with gastritis, with 62.7% of the study population testing positive. The observed associations with unsafe drinking water, poor food hygiene, inadequate hand hygiene, household overcrowding, and poor environmental sanitation suggest that improvements in water safety, food hygiene, personal hygiene, and sanitary conditions may contribute to reducing H. pylori transmission. Strengthening community awareness, preventive practices, and appropriate diagnostic and management strategies may therefore be important for reducing the burden of H. pylori-associated gastritis in the studied population