Factors Influencing Helicobacter Pylori Positivity in Children.

BACKGROUND:Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common bacteria all over the world. The factors influencing the acquisition and prevalence of H. pylori infection are still poorly understood.AIMS:The aim of this study was to determine the factors that may affect H. pylori positivity in patients who presented to the pediatric clinic.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:The study included 374 children who attended the pediatric clinic with gastrointestinal complaints. The demographic characteristics of patients were recorded, and fecal samples were examined for H. pylori positivity with a prepared kit procedure. In addition, the samples were examined under microscope for the diagnosis of parasites in stool. The Chi-square analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. The odds ratio was calculated as an estimate of the relative risk. Results: The study found the incidence of H. pylori positivity to be 18.7%. It was observed that in all H. pylori positive patients had growth retardation. H. pylori positivity had no significant relationship with the presence of parasites in the stool (p = 0.113). The results of the Chi-square test showed that H. pylori positivity was significantly changed age groups and educational levels. Logistic regression analysis showed that "age" and "educational status" are significant predictors of H. pylori positivity (p = 0.023 and 0.017, respectively). The risk of H. pylori positivity in the 11-18 age group patients was found about two times (OR: 2.024) higher than in the 6-10 age group patients. The risk of H. pylori positivity in those with education level of "Middle school and above" were found to be twice as high (OR: 2.126) than those with a primary education level (OR: 2.126).CONCLUSION:In this study, adolescent age and middle school and above level were found to be risk factors for H. pylori. This suggests that there may be other conditions influencing H. pylori positivity. Also, since the frequency of H. pylori is high in those with growth retardation, H. pylori should be considered when evaluating children with growth retardation.