Helicobacter pylori Infection: Comparison of Knowledge between Health Science and Non-Health Science University Students

Review of foodborne helicobacteriosis

Helicobacteriosis is a common bacterial infection caused by Helicobacter pylori. It affects the stomach and small intestines, leading to inflammation. Bacteria can spread through contaminated food or water. This review explores the role of food in the transmission of H. pylori, drawing on research from the past three decades. People commonly acquire the infection during childhood, often from close family members. Crowded living conditions can also contribute to the spread. This review also discusses various risk factors and highlights the challenges of detecting H. pylori, particularly in its dormant form. Techniques like ribotyping and restriction fragment length polymorphism hold promise for tracing transmission routes, but more long-term studies are needed to account for potential confounding factors.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of adults in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric ulcers, cancers, and treatment

Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection presents a significant threat to global health with serious associated morbidities. This study aimed to assess awareness, attitudes, and practices related to HP in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) through a survey-based cross-sectional study involving 2,541 respondents. We used a structured online questionnaire to gather data on personal and sociodemographic characteristics, as well as HP-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The survey was distributed through various social media platforms. The results revealed that 59.4% of respondents demonstrated good knowledge about HP, with a mean knowledge score of 3.7 ± 1.0 out of 5. Knowledge gaps were particularly evident regarding the contagiousness and transmission modes of HP. The mean attitude score was 12.2 ± 2.2 out of a maximum score of 15. In total, 37.6% of respondents reported ever being tested for HP, with 54.2% testing positive. Among those treated for HP, only 79% received antibiotic therapy and 37.8% received acid-reducing medications. Knowledge levels were significantly higher among younger and highly educated respondents (P < 0.001), and respondents with higher knowledge scores also had higher attitude scores than those with lower knowledge scores (12.6 ± 2.0 vs. 11.6 ± 2.0, P < 0.001). Individuals who had undergone HP testing had significantly higher knowledge levels than those who did not (62.3 vs. 57.8, P = 0.024). These findings underscore the urgent need for raising the population's awareness regarding the risks, prevention, and management of HP infection through targeted educational strategies.

Awareness and Practice of Patients with Helicobacter pylori Infection Toward their Disease in the Riyadh Region, Saudi Arabia

Objective

This study aimed to study the awareness and practice of patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) toward their disease in the Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia.

Material and Methods

This is a descriptive cross-sectional community-based study, in the central region of the kingdom. The target population of this study was adult patients with H. pylori infection, and a sample of 808 Saudi and non-Saudi male and female individuals were randomly selected using an online questionnaire. A consent form was obtained from all participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the university ethics committee.

Results

There were a total of 808 responses. Most participants were female (89.4%) (n = 722) and between the ages of 35 and 60 years (60.8%), and most participants had a bachelor's degree (62.4%). 53.47% of the participants have good knowledge regarding their disease. Most of the participants knew it could cause gastric and duodenal ulcers (82.5%), but they did not know the infection might cause gastric cancer (48.6%).

Conclusion

The study concluded that the majority of patients with H. pylori infection (53.47%) have good knowledge regarding their disease. Additionally, many participants were aware of the symptoms associated with H. pylori. Furthermore, many participants complained about their treatment.

Knowledge and Attitude of Medical Students Towards Helicobacter pylori Infection and Its Prevention and Management: A Study From Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a virulent pathogen causing gastritis and ulcers followed by serious complications. Despite being a heavy burden to eradicate, there are not many studies that assess the comprehension of future physicians regarding this bacterium. The objective of this study was to assess medical students' knowledge and attitude toward H. pylori while evaluating the variations based on their socio-demographic factors at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among students in all four years of medical college. The data was collected by distributing an online questionnaire which included three following sections: demographic data, knowledge regarding H. pylori infection, and attitude toward H. pylori infection. Total knowledge and attitude levels were grouped into three and two categories, respectively, and compared between the respondents' socio-demographics. Results Out of 330 respondents, the majority were females (n=185, 56%), and the mean age was 22.8±2.1 years. There were 184 students (56%) who had an excellent attitude (>70%) and 140 (44%) students had average knowledge (34-70%). The medical students' knowledge level was significantly (p<0.001) different between the participants according to their year of study and gender, with higher scores reported by male students in their clinical years (sixth and fifth years). Conclusion Medical students of KSAU-HS, Riyadh, had an overall average knowledge and excellent attitude towards H. pylori infection, and its prevention and management which emphasize the need for more comprehensive education and awareness programs throughout the medical curriculum to ensure future physicians are well-prepared to address the challenges associated with H. pylori-related health issues.

Lifestyle-based nomogram for identifying the Chaoshan inhabitants of China at high risk of Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is associated with various diseases. Early detection can prevent the onset of illness. We constructed a nomogram to predict groups at high risk of HP infection.

METHODS

Patients who underwent regular medical check-ups at hospital in Chaoshan, China from March to September 2022 were randomly allocated to the training and validation cohorts. Risk factors including basic characteristics and lifestyle habits associated with HP infection were analyzed by logistic regression analyses. The independent varieties were calculated and plotted into a nomogram. The nomogram was internally validated by receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration, and decision curve analyses (DCAs).

RESULTS

Of the 945 patients, 680 were included in the training cohort and 265 in the validation cohort. 356 patients in training cohort with positive 13 C-UBT results served as the infected group, and 324 without infection were the control group. The multivariate regression analyses showed that the risk factors for HP infection included alcohol consumption (OR = 1.29, 95%CI = 0.78-2.13, P = 0.03), family history of gastric disease (OR = 4.35, 95%CI = 1.47-12.84, P = 0.01), living with an HP-positive individual (OR = 18.09, 95%CI = 10.29-31.82, P < 0.0001), drinking hot tea (OR = 1.58, 95%CI = 1.05-2.48, P = 0.04), and infection status of co-drinkers unknown (OR = 2.29, 95%CI = 1.04-5.06, P = 0.04). However, drinking tea > 3 times per day (OR = 0.56, 95%CI = 0.33-0.95, P = 0.03), using serving chopsticks (OR = 0.30, 95%CI = 0.12-0.49, P < 0.0001) were protective factors for HP infection. The nomogram had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.85 in the training cohort. The DCA was above the reference line within a large threshold range, indicating that the model was better. The calibration analyses showed the actual occurrence rate was basically consistent with the predicted occurrence rate. The model was validated in the validation cohort, and had a good AUC (0.80), DCA and calibration curve results.

CONCLUSIONS

This nomogram, which incorporates basic characteristics and lifestyle habits, is an efficient model for predicting those at high risk of HP infection in the Chaoshan region.

The Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention on Helicobacter pylori for University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Introduction

Helicobacter pylori infection is widespread and harmful, rendering its eradication a serious public health problem. Undergraduate students' general understanding of H. pylori infection is relatively poor. This was a second-phase research study to evaluate the efficacy of an educational intervention in raising awareness among university students.

Methods

A quasi-experimental approach was employed, with 108 undergraduate students at King Saud University as participants. First, during the October 2021 academic year, data were gathered using a validated survey. The survey was divided into sociodemographic characteristics and H. pylori knowledge. Second, we assessed the effectiveness of an educational intervention to increase university students' awareness of the topic.

Results

Before the intervention, the percentage of students that had good (9.3%), fair (28.7%) and poor (62%) knowledge of H. pylori infection changed to 55.6%, 41.7%, and 2.8% respectively. There was a significant increase in overall and domain-wise mean knowledge score after the educational intervention (p = 0.001). The pretest knowledge was independent of all socio-demographic variables except "whether or not they had heard about H. pylori infection" (χ²= 8.666, p = 0.013).

Conclusion

Educational intervention may help increase students' awareness of H. pylori infections.

Knowledge and Perception of Physicians of Different Specialties in Saudi Arabia Toward Helicobacter pylori

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a key pathogen causing several gastrointestinal diseases. Fortunately, H. pylori infection is treatable, which can lower its comorbidities. However, data assessing physicians' awareness of H. pylori is lacking in Saudi Arabia.

Objective

To assess the knowledge and awareness of physicians of different specialties who practice in Saudi Arabia about H. pylori infection.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study conducted between May and September 2022 on physicians across all regions in Saudi Arabia using a validated online questionnaire covering their knowledge and awareness of H. pylori infection. An independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Games-Howell as a post hoc test were used to analyze the data. A General Linear Model was also employed to determine significant predictors among the variables reliant on H. pylori awareness.

Results

The results showed that the mean awareness score of 474 physicians was 76.99± 6.9, indicating that participants had sufficient knowledge about H. pylori infection. In general, the internal medicine specialists (28.3%) had better awareness of H. pylori infection than the other specialties. Moreover, the university hospital sector performed the best, scoring 80.68±13.3, and the southern region had the highest-ranked physicians with a score of 81.56 ±13.7 in terms of H. pylori awareness. Furthermore, the general linear model revealed a statistical significance (p<0.05) for the following demographic aspects concerning H. pylori awareness: the physicians' age group of 30-39 years, duration of experience of 11-15 years, the hospital sectors of Nation Guards (NGH) and Security Forces (SFH), and the southern and central regions of practice in Saudi Arabia.

Conclusion

Physicians in Saudi Arabia have relatively sufficient awareness of H. pylori; however, they are highly influenced by age, years of experience, the hospital sector involved, and the region where the physicians practice.

Awareness of Human Papillomavirus among Male and Female University Students in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection globally. Investigating HPV awareness can reduce the burden of HPV-related cancers.

AIMS

(1) Assessing HPV awareness and knowledge among health college students at King Saud University, (2) comparing these outcomes across sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted from November to December 2022 and included 403 health college students. Associations of HPV awareness and knowledge with sociodemographic characteristics were assessed using logistic regression analysis and linear regression analysis, respectively.

RESULTS

Only 60% of students were aware of HPV, with awareness higher among females, although their knowledge scores were comparable to males. The odds of awareness of HPV were greater among medical students compared to other colleges and among students belonging to older age groups compared to the younger age group (18-20). The odds of HPV awareness among hepatitis B vaccinated students were 2.10 times that among unvaccinated students (AOR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.21, 3.64).

CONCLUSIONS

The low level of HPV awareness among college students warrants the need for HPV educational campaigns to improve HPV awareness and to promote HPV vaccination in the community.

Helicobacter pylori Infection in Croatian Population: Knowledge, Attitudes and Factors Influencing Incidence and Recovery

Basic and clinical knowledge about Helicobacter pylori infections has been improved in the past. However, the translation of this knowledge into public health intervention has remained poor. A survey based cross-sectional study was performed to assess the factors regarding the H. pylori infection in the general population. The survey was conducted using a previously developed questionnaire, adapted for the population in Croatia. Respondents (N = 1131) had a good knowledge score with a median of 4 out of 5 correct answers (interquartile range: 2–4). Senior participants had a lower frequency of high knowledge answers about H. pylori (43.1%) compared to younger (56.1%) and middle-aged participants (51.5%, p = 0.014). Rural participants had a higher frequency of low knowledge answers compared to urban and suburban ones (21.7% vs. 9.5% and 9.4%, p = 0.011). Only 315 participants (27.9%) were screened for the H. pylori infection, despite high support for the screening programs among the untested (74.7%) and tested (85.7%). Habits of smoking (p = 0.036) and coffee drinking (p = 0.008) were associated with more symptoms after eradication therapy. Further education is needed for the groups at risk for H. pylori infection, especially to raise the awareness of the importance of screening programs. More research is warranted to assess the effects of dietary changes on therapy outcomes.

Factores epidemiológicos y educativos asociados al nivel de conocimiento sobre prevención de cáncer gástrico en internos de medicina de Lima, Perú

Introducción. El cáncer gástrico es uno de los cánceres más letales; por lo tanto, un alto nivel de conocimiento sobre su prevención es esencial en la formación de los futuros médicos. Objetivo. Determinar los factores epidemiológicos y educativos asociados al nivel de conocimiento en prevención de cáncer gástrico en internos de medicina de una universidad en Lima, Perú. Materiales y métodos. Estudio transversal analítico realizado en 319 internos de medicina matriculados en 2020 y 2021 en la Facultad de Medicina Humana de la Universidad Ricardo Palma. La información se recolectó utilizando encuestas. Además, el nivel socioeconómico y el nivel de conocimiento se midieron mediante la clasificación de Graffar y el test de conocimiento sobre prevención en cáncer gástrico, previamente validado en un centro de salud en Lima (Alfa de Cronbach: 0.84), respectivamente. Se realizó un análisis bivariado y uno multivariado con un modelo de regresión de Poisson, calculándose razones de prevalencia, con un intervalo de confianza (IC) de 95% y un nivel de significancia de p<0.05. Resultados. El nivel de conocimientos fue alto en 53.92% de los internos. En el análisis multivariado, se observó una asociación significativa entre el nivel alto de conocimiento sobre prevención de cáncer gástrico y las siguientes variables: planear realizar una especialidad quirúrgica (RPa:1.43, IC95%:1.13-1.81; p=0.003) y tener nivel socioeconómico I-II (RPa:1.58, IC95%:1.26-1.99; p=0.000). Por otro lado, las variables sexo, edad, tener un familiar directo con cáncer, tener un familiar médico directo y asistencia a conferencias de cáncer no mostraron asociación significativa. Conclusión. Planear realizar una especialidad quirúrgica y tener nivel socioeconómico I-II fueron las únicas variables asociadas con tener un nivel alto e conocimientos sobre prevención del cáncer gástrico, por lo que se recomienda que la Facultad de Medicina Humana desarrolle estrategias dirigidas a mejorar el nivel de conocimiento de los internos de medicina.