Prevalence and risk factors of Helicobater pylori among adult men and women in selected districts of Bhutan

Abstract

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a spiral-shaped and gram-negative bacillus. This bacterium is known to be associated with the pathogenesis of various upper gastrointestinal disorders such as Gastric Cancer. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the national prevalence and risk factors of H. pylori infections in bhutanese population.

Methods: This study involves a general bhutanese population aged 18-75 years old. The study sites are selected using a multi-stage sampling method to represent different regions of the country. The subjects are tested for H. Pylori antigen in their stool sample. The sample size (n) for this research study is 2324 of the target population. Considering the proportion of subjects to the target population in every selected health facility, every 30th person from the target population list maintained with each health facility was selected as the study subject.

Findings: A total of 2245 participants were tested for H. pylori antigen in their stool sample. The prevalence of H. pylori positive was 35.5% out of which 37.5% were male and 33.8% were female. Some of the risk factor questions related to diet are included for the study. The prevalence of H. pylori was high among ages 25 to 49 years old. Gasa reported the highest prevalence of H. pylori infection with 66.7% whereas Monger with the lowest prevalence with 24.4%. Regionally, H. pylori prevalence was 44.4% in the Central region (Bumthang, Trongsa and Sarpang). The study revealed that H. pylori infection is more likely to be associated with the dried meat, pickle, and tap water consumption. Conclusion: Understanding the prevalence pattern of H. pylori will help in prioritizing public health practices to better manage H. Pylori infection consequences.