TITLE:
Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori and hygiene practices among public secondary school students in Ikeja local government area, Lagos, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Sridhar Kameswara Chandra Mynepalli, Osamor Maureen, Adejumo Mumuni
KEYWORDS:
Helicobacter pylori; Hygiene; School Children; Lagos Slums; Hand Washing; Sanitation
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.6 No.4,
February
19,
2014
ABSTRACT: This study determined prevalence of Helicobacter
pylori and hygiene practices among
public secondary school students in Ikeja Local Government Area (LGA),
Lagos state, Nigeria. An institutional-based, cross-sectional study was
conducted among two randomly selected secondary schools. One hundred (100)
consented students participated in the study
and interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire
while blood samples were collected by venipuncture. Respondents’ ages were 16.1
± 2.8 years and 54.0% were females. Mean number of persons living in a room was
7.0 ± 3.5, and however, 39.0% of the respondents lived in a room with 4 - 6
persons. The prevalence of H. pylori was 59.0% (59/100). Majority, 64.4% of those infected with H.
pylori were 15 years
and above while 62.7% females were
tested positive to H. pylori. Some, 38.9% of the participants infected with H. pylori drink tap water while 84.7% did hand washing after visiting toilets with
water and soap. Mostly, 64.0% of those tested positive to H. pylori did not experience abdominal pain
in the last 4 weeks. No significant association existed between drinking
water source, hand washing practice after defecation and H. pylori positivity. Routine examination of school students is required to detect Helicobacter
pylori in order to commence treatment
immediately and awareness about the H. pylori infection should be
increased throughout secondary school to prevent further infection.