title: Factors influencing the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in children.
abstract: The epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection was studied in 245 healthy children (between 3 and 20 years of age) who presented for day surgery at Arkansas Children's Hospital. H pylori infection was identified serologically using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the presence of IgG against the high molecular weight, cell-associated antigens of H pylori. Demographic information collected included age, gender, race, family income, type of housing, location of housing, water supply, health status, upper gastrointestinal symptoms, and keeping pets. One hundred eighty-nine white children and 56 black children were studied; 139 were boys and 106 were girls. The data were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. H pylori infection increased significantly with age (P less than .05). The frequency of H pylori infection was higher in blacks than whites (P less than .01), and this difference remained after adjusting for age, gender, and family income. Family income was used as a measure of socioeconomic class and was an important factor related to infection; the rate of acquisition of H pylori in those children with family income less than +5000/year was twice that of those with incomes greater than +75,000/year (P less than .001). There were no significant differences in H pylori infection related to gender, type of housing, location of housing, or source of water supply. It is concluded that the rate of acquisition of H pylori infection increases with age, is higher in blacks than whites, and is inversely related to socioeconomic class.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fiedorek
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Malaty
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Pumphrey
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Casteel
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001131:Arkansas; D044383:Black People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial