AUTHOR=Che Thai Hoang , Nguyen Tu Cam , Ngo Dung Thi Thuy , Nguyen Hiep Thanh , Vo Khang Tan , Ngo Xuan Minh , Truong Dinh Quang , Bontems Patrick , Robert Annie , Nguyen Phuong Ngoc Van 

TITLE=High Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection Among School-Aged Children in Ho Chi Minh City, VietNam

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=67

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1605354

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2022.1605354

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> There is no study on <italic>Helicobacter pylori</italic> (<italic>H. pylori</italic>) infection in pupils of Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC), the most overcrowded city in Vietnam. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of <italic>H. pylori</italic> and its geographical spread among school-aged children.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1854 pupils across 24 districts of HCMC in 2019. Multiple-stage sampling method was used to enroll pupils. We built a four-points index for geographical division based on population density and employees density to evaluate the link between <italic>H. pylori</italic> and crowded level. Stool samples were analyzed by monoclonal enzyme-immunoassay stool antigen-test to assess the infection status. Logistic regression was performed to assess possible factors related to <italic>H. pylori</italic> infection.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The overall prevalence of <italic>H. pylori</italic> was 87.7%. There was a linear increasing trend in the infection rate (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) across the 4-points index of HCMC and this trend maintained within both age and gender subgroups (<italic>p</italic> = 0.02).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Prevalence of <italic>H. pylori</italic> was high and it increased with population density or employees density. Therefore, it is crucial to plan and implement the reduction of <italic>H. pylori</italic> infection programs by targeting the highly concentrated population areas of HCMC.</p>