Korean J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr.  2001 Sep;4(2):161-166.

High Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Korean Adolescent Athletes

• Kim HR
• Ahn YH
• Choe YH
• Lee JE
• Hong YC

Abstract

PURPOSE: Poor living conditions such as overcrowding and sharing a bed are reported to be significant risk factors for H. pylori infection throughout childhood. We investigated the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korean athletes who are obliged to live together in training camps over six months a year.
METHODS
Blood sampling and surveying through questionnaire were performed on 440 regular high school students (228 boys and 212 girls) and 220 athletes (148 boys and 72 girls) of a physical education high school. We measured serum IgG Ab to H. pylori in order to compare the prevalence of H. pylori infection between normal adolescents and athletes. In addition, we conducted a nutritional analysis and questionnaire survey for socioeconomic status in order to compare other risk factors that might influence H. pylori infection between groups.
RESULTS
The prevalence (43.2%) of H. pylori infection in athletes was higher than that (22.7%) in the controls. No significant differences in the nutritional factors or socioeconomic status, such as Hollingshead index, type of house, and crowding index, were found between the groups. Multivariate analysis showed that crowding and the difference in school type were the significant predictors of H. pylori seropositivity after controlling for dietary and socioeconomic factors.
CONCLUSION
Living together in training camps might be a significant risk factor for H. pylori infection in athletes.

Keyword

Adolescents; Athletes; Helicobacter pylori; Prevalence

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Athletes*
Crowding
Helicobacter pylori*
Helicobacter*
Humans
Immunoglobulin G
Multivariate Analysis
Physical Education and Training
Prevalence
Surveys and Questionnaires
Risk Factors
Seroepidemiologic Studies*
Social Class
Social Conditions
Socioeconomic Factors
Immunoglobulin G