Seroprevalence and risk factors of Helicobacter pylori infection among public sector employees in Kuwait.

OBJECTIVE

Approximately half of the global population is infected with Helicobacter pylori, which is associated with several diseases, including gastric adenocarcinoma. The prevalence of H. pylori infection among the general Kuwaiti population remains unknown. This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence and associated risk factors of H. pylori infection among public sector employees in two governmental ministries in Kuwait.

RESULTS

Each participant underwent a diagnostic test for H. pylori IgG antibodies. A questionnaire was administered to collect data on demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and medical history for descriptive and inferential statistics, including logistic regression analysis. The cohort comprised 513 participants aged 20–72 years. Among them, 508 specified their sex, with 63.6% (323/508) being male. The prevalence of H. pylori-specific IgG antibodies, which indicates either a current or previous H. pylori infection, was 16.6% (85/513, 95% confidence interval [CI] 13%–20%). The > 50-year-old age group had the highest prevalence of H. pylori IgG antibody positivity. Male sex was the only independent factor significantly associated with a positive IgG result (adjusted odds ratio = 2.127, 95% CI 1.121–4.033, p-value = 0.021). A quantifiable percentage of the study population had IgG antibodies against H. pylori. Nevertheless, further studies with a larger, more representative sample size and more reliable H. pylori tests should be conducted to obtain more robust results.