title: Prevalence of and risk factors for H. pylori infection in healthy children and young adults in Belgium anno 2010/2011.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Estimation of prevalence and risk factors for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in children and young adults in Belgium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred and sixteen schoolchildren between 12 and 25 years old were tested for H. pylori infection using 13C-UBT in different regions in Belgium. A questionnaire was used to evaluate risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty six (11%) tested positive. In children born in Belgium, with parents from Belgium, 13 (3,2%) tested positive. In children born in a foreign country, 20 (60%) tested positive; if born in Belgium but 1 or 2 parents were from a foreign country, 15 (30%) tested positive. Differences were significant (p <0.001). In the multivariate analyses, significant risk factors were staying in a day nursery, a birthplace of child or father outside Belgium, and lower education levels of mother.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cohort of Belgian asymptomatic children and young adults, the prevalence of H. pylori infection is 11%, ranging from 3,2% in Belgian born children with Belgian parents to 60% in children born in high prevalence countries from foreign parents. The most significant risk factor found in this study was origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Brussels, Belgium. Fazia.mana@uzbrussel.be
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mana
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vandebosch
authors.affiliation: Clinical Biology Department, Brugmann University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miendje Deyi
authors.affiliation: Center for Outcomes Research and Laboratory for Experimental Surgery, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Haentjens
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Urbain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult