title: Helicobacter pylori infection in Icelandic children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is decreasing in the western world. The seroprevalence among 25-50-year-old Icelandic adults was recently shown to be 30-40%. Information on the seroprevalence in Nordic children is limited. We aimed at ascertaining the infection prevalence among healthy Icelandic children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The infection status in stored frozen blood samples from two cross-sectional studies on the health of 7-9-year-old children (n = 125) and 16-18-year-old adolescents (n = 80) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Information on family demographics and GI symptoms was obtained by standardized questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 3.4% (7/205) of the children were infected with H. pylori. The prevalence was 2.6% (5/190), missing data n = 3, among children with both parents born in a low prevalence country compared to 17% (2/12) among those with at least one parent born in a high prevalence area (p = .026). When at least one parent was born in a high prevalence country, the odds ratio for being H. pylori seropositive was 2.2 (95% CI, 1.02-54.67), when adjusted for the educational status of the mother. There was no significant association between H. pylori infection and gastrointestinal symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of H. pylori infection in Iceland has become very low, suggesting a great reduction in transmission from older generations. There was an association between H. pylori infection and origin from high prevalence areas but not with gastrointestinal symptoms. The results mirror recent studies of children of Scandinavian ancestry.
authors.affiliation: a Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Radiology , National University Hospital of Iceland , Reykjavík , Iceland.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Asgeirsdottir
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kjartansdottir
authors.affiliation: c School of Education, University of Iceland , Reykjavík , Iceland.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Olafsdottir
authors.affiliation: a Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Radiology , National University Hospital of Iceland , Reykjavík , Iceland.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hreinsson
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hrafnkelsson
authors.affiliation: c School of Education, University of Iceland , Reykjavík , Iceland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Johannsson
authors.affiliation: a Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Radiology , National University Hospital of Iceland , Reykjavík , Iceland.|b Faculty of Medicine.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Björnsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
keywords: Helicobacter pylori; health-economy