Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Korean Health Personnel.
- Author:
Hyun Young KIM
1
;
Nayoung KIM
;
Seon Mie KIM
;
Ji Hyun SEO
;
Eun Ha PARK
;
Dong Ho LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea. nayoungkim49@empas.com
- Publication Type:Original Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Keywords:
Helicobacter pylori;
Serology;
Prevalence;
Health personnel
- MeSH:
Administrative Personnel;
Adult;
Age Factors;
Antibodies, Bacterial/*blood;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Female;
Helicobacter Infections/blood/*epidemiology;
Helicobacter pylori/*immunology;
Humans;
Male;
Medical Staff, Hospital;
Middle Aged;
Nursing Staff, Hospital;
*Occupational Health;
Peptic Ulcer/epidemiology;
*Personnel, Hospital;
Pharmacists;
Prevalence;
Republic of Korea/epidemiology;
Residence Characteristics;
Risk Factors;
Seroepidemiologic Studies;
Time Factors;
Young Adult
- From:Gut and Liver
2013;7(6):648-654
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of this study were to evaluate whether doctors and nurses in a single hospital were at an increased risk of acquiring Helicobacter pylori infection in 2011 and to identify risk factors for H. pylori seroprevalence. METHODS: Nurses (n=362), doctors (n=110), health personnel without patient contact (medical control, n=179), and nonhospital controls (n=359) responded to a questionnaire during a health check-up, which included questions on socioeconomic status, education level, working years, and occupation in 2011. The prevalence of H. pylori was measured by serology. RESULTS: The seroprevalence rate was 29.8% (nurses), 34.5% (doctors), 30.7% (medical control), and 52.9% (nonhospital control). Among younger subjects (<40 years of age), the nonhospital control had a higher seropositivity rate (48.1%) than nurses (29.2%), doctors (29.8%), and the medical control (24.8%), which was not observable in subjects > or =40 years of age. The risk factors for H. pylori seroprevalence were not different for health and nonhealth personnel. A multivariate analysis indicated that seropositivity significantly increased with age, the province of residence, and a gastroscopic finding of a peptic ulcer. CONCLUSIONS: The medical occupation was not associated with H. pylori infection. The seroprevalence of H. pylori in one hospital in 2011 was found to be 38.7%, most likely due to the improvement in socioeconomic status and hospital hygiene policy in Korea.
