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Helicobacter pylori knowledge and perception among multi‐ethnic Asians
Author(s) -
Teng Thomas Zheng Jie,
Sudharsan Madhavan,
Yau Joachim Wen Kien,
Tan Weiting,
Shelat Vishalkumar G.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
helicobacter
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.206
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1523-5378
pISSN - 1083-4389
DOI - 10.1111/hel.12794
Subject(s) - medicine , helicobacter pylori , ethnic group , peptic ulcer , helicobacter pylori infection , transmission (telecommunications) , disease , public health , cross sectional study , perception , family medicine , gastroenterology , psychology , pathology , neuroscience , sociology , anthropology , electrical engineering , engineering
Background Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is endemic and causes peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. There is a lack of data related to awareness of the general public about HP and associated health risks. The objective of this study was to investigate the awareness and public perceptions about HP and the attitudes towards screening. Methods This cross‐sectional study included a structured 19‐item questionnaire targeting members of the general public at a restructured acute hospital in Singapore. Results Out of 504 participants, 152 (30.2%) were aware of HP. Higher education was associated with HP awareness ( p < 0.001, OR 7.4, 95% CI 1.6–32.6). A third, 175 (34.7%) of the respondents identified the stomach as the primary site of infection. 131 (26.0%) respondents identified the fecal‐oral route as a mode of transmission. 178 (35.3%) respondents were aware of available screening modalities, with around half of them willing to be screened with blood ( n = 256, 50.8%) or breath tests ( n = 265, 52.6%). 430 (85.3%) participants were keen to learn more about HP, and this was associated with age ( p < 0.05, OR 3.9, 95% CI 2.1–7.1). Conclusion Awareness about HP infection is low, and acceptance of screening tests is high. Educational efforts are needed to improve awareness.