Association between Socio-demographic Factors and the rate of Helicobacter pylori infection across various diagnostic techniques among patients in Rivers State, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Background: In 2015, an estimated 50% of the world’s population had Helicobacter pylori in their upper gastrointestinal tracts. Although Helicobacter pylori infection usually shows no symptoms, it has been regularly implicated as a cause of gastritis or stomach ulcers or the first part of the small intestine. This study aims to determine the socio-demographics relationship with Helicobacter pylori infection rate across different diagnostic techniques.

Methodology: A total of 180 subjects between the ages of 1 and 60 years, who visited 2 teaching hospitals and 1 private hospital in Port Harcourt Metropolis for medical treatment were recruited. Convenience sampling techniques were used, and subjects' demographic information was obtained using a questionnaire. Ethical approval to use human subjects for this study was gotten and informed consent obtained from the study participants. Samples collected were blood and stool specimens.

Results: This study established the presence of H. pylori infection among subjects in some locations in the Port Harcourt metropolis with a prevalence rate of 44% out of 180 blood samples tested for H. pylori by serology, 8.3% tested for stool antigen and 5.2% tested positive for PCR respectively. Females had prevalence rates of 53%, 11%, and 4.0%, for serology, stool antigen, and PCR methods, while males had prevalence rates of 33%, 5.0%, and 1.2% respectively, showing a higher prevalence rate in females than males. Also, adult participants aged between 16 and 30 years had the highest prevalence of H. pylori at 52.9% while those within the age range of 30 and above 63 years had a prevalence of 46%. This agrees with the present study results as adults less than 40 years old showed the highest prevalence rate.

Conclusion: The result from this research affirms the presence of Helicobacter pylori in subjects within Port-Harcourt, with a lower prevalence rate of the infection seen in males than females.