Prevalence and predictors of Helicobacter pylori infection in children and adults from the Penan ethnic minority of Malaysian Borneo.
To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori antigen carriage in stool in the Penan ethnic minority in Malaysian Borneo, we studied 295 Penans 0.6-89.0 years of age from 1) the remote Limbang Division, 2) Mulu regional center, and 3) Belaga village. Overall, 37.7% of the subjects tested positive. Peak prevalence was reached by 10 years of age. There were no differences in age, sex, body mass index, and socioeconomic/domestic variables between antigen-positive and antigen-negative subjects. In a logistic regression analysis, subjects from Limbang were least likely to be antigen-positive (odds ratio [OR] = 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12-0.44 versus other sites, P < 0.001). Availability of a flushing toilet was protective against H. pylori carriage (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.27-0.95, P = 0.031). Infection with H. pylori among the Penan was less than reported in other low socioeconomic groups. The lowest prevalence in the most remote setting suggests that the infection has been a recent arrival in previously isolated communities.
Huang
Simon Siong Sing
SS
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, Malaysia. sshuang@fhs.unimas.my
Hassan
Abdul Karim Russ
AK
Choo
Keng Ee
KE
Ibrahim
Mohamad Iswandy
MI
Davis
Timothy M E
TM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D044466:Asian People; D001893:Borneo / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial