Prevalence and Risk Factors of Helicobacter pylori Infection among Secondary School Adolescents in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori is an infectious organism affecting man which occurs worldwide, more prevalent in developing countries including Nigeria. It is the most frequent cause of peptic ulcers in children and is linked to the emergence of gastric cancers in adults. H. pylori is usually acquired in childhood and may persistent into adulthood without treatment. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors of Helicobacter pylori infection among secondary school adolescents in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria Methods: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out using 402 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years attending secondary schools in randomly selected two public and twenty-two private schools in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Port Harcourt Metropolis, from May 2021 to July 2021. The adolescents' sociodemographic, household characteristics and hygiene practices were entered into a proforma. Stool antigen test was carried out on each subject’s stool. A mixture of dilution buffer and stool was centrifuged to obtain the supernatant. H. pylori Stool Antigen dipstick was dipped into the supernatant and results read within 5-10 minutes. A colored line shows a positive result when it appears in the test region, but a negative result when it does not. If no line appears in the control region, the test result was interpreted as being invalid. Results: Infection with H. pylori was prevalent in 59.7% of adolescents aged 10 to 18 years. Statistically significant difference was found with increasing age, poor hand washing practice after toilet use and poor hygiene practice in washing of vegetables before eating and lower mother’s education with (p < 0.05). Predictors of H. pylori infection were lower mother’s educational level (OR-1.744, 95%Cl=1.066; 2.853, p=0.027), poor handwashing practices after toilet use (OR-1.668, 95%Cl=1.073; 2.594, p=0.023), and poor hygiene practice in washing of vegetables before consumption (OR-8.781, 95%Cl=1.102; 60.972, p=0.040) respectively. Conclusion: The high prevalence of H. pylori infection could be attributed to the poor hygiene practices of the adolescents and the low educational level of their mothers. There is need to strengthen school health programs through quality health education on good hand hygiene practices and consumption of properly washed vegetables. There should be provision of adequate clean water in schools and improvement in the education of the girl child.