Prevalence and risk factors for Helicobacter pylori infection among Yemeni dyspeptic patients

OBJECTIVE: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the world's most common human bacterial infections. Acquisition of H. pylori infection may be associated with chronic gastritis, peptic ulceration and gastric cancer. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence of H. pylori infection among dyspeptic patients, any correlation with dyspeptic symptoms and endoscopic findings and, any socioeconomic and environmental risk factors.

METHODS: The study was conducted between September 1997 and October 1998 in one Endoscopy Unit, Sana'a city, Yemen. A total of 275 consecutive patients with chronic dyspepsia were enrolled in the study. Endoscopic examination was conducted, gastric biopsies were obtained from the antrum and corpus, and H. pylori infection was diagnosed at the time of endoscopy using the rapid urease test.

RESULTS: The prevalence of H. pylori infection in our patients was 82.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 78 to 87%). Independent variables associated with infection were age >40 years (odds ration (OR)=2.2; 95% CI: 1.0-4.64; P=0.043); the presence of >= 5 children under 14 years per household (OR=6.62; 95% CI: 2.245 to 19.5; P= 0.001); and duodenal ulcer disease (OR=3.7; 95% CI: 1.38 to 10.0; P=0.009).

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of H. pylori infection in dyspeptic patients in Yemen seems to be high. Advancing age, 5 or more children per household and duodenal ulcer disease were found to be significantly associated with H. pylori infection.