Impact of Dietary Behavior, Lifestyle & Socioeconomic Status on Patients Infected with H. pylori

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is bacterial infection, has become a primary cause for peptic and duodenal ulcers and an etiologic agent in the development of gastric cancer.

Aim: To assess the impact of patient's dietary behavior, socioeconomic factors, and lifestyle on patient's infectivity status by H. pylori.

Methodology: A case – Control study consisted of 100 participants that were divided into two groups n = 46 Cases (IgG Positive), and n = 54 Controls (IgG Negative), conducted on patients with upper digestive tract problems in the endoscopic clinics in Gaza in order to determine the impact of patient's dietary behavior, socioeconomic factor and life style on H. pylori infecting status using an interview questionnaire for data collection after getting consent of the participants, SPSS was used for data entry and analysis.

Results: One hundred patients were assessed, 43.5% male with positive IgG, while female with 56.5% positive IgG. Most of cases 91.3% were < 45 of age, and 58.7% were married. About 21.7% of cases had past family history of H. pylori, while zero percent for controls. Also, 84.4% of cases were suffered from stress with statistical significance.

Conclusion: H. pylori infection is a phenomenon in Gaza Strip, and dietary behavior, socioeconomic status and lifestyle play an important role on patient’s infection.