PREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN KOREAN CHILDREN - INVERSE RELATION TO SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS DESPITE A UNIFORMLY HIGH PREVALENCE IN ADULTS

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in US adults was shown to be inversely correlated with the socioeconomic status of the famil y during childhood, and it was suggested that this was additional evid ence of transmission occurring in childhood, The present study of H. p ylori infection was conducted in South Korea, which has emerged as a d eveloped country in the last two decades. The authors attempted to det ermine whether there was a difference in prevalence of H. pylori infec tion in Korean children of different socioeconomic classes despite the high prevalence of infection in childbearing adults. The authors also attempted to identify the factors responsible for the different patte rns of transmission by estimating the age-specific prevalence of H. py lori infection in 413 healthy 1- to 75-year-old asymptomatic volunteer s who resided in Seoul, H. pylori status was evaluated using an enzyme -linked immunosorbent assay for anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G. Demog raphic data were obtained from each individual, and socioeconomic clas s was assessed by the education level of the adults and of the childre n's parents as well as family income. H. pylori infection was present in 75% of adults and 22% of children, and its prevalence increased wit h age (p < 0.001), In adults, the rate of infection was high and indep endent of socioeconomic class. In children, it was inversely related t o the socioeconomic class of the child's family: 12% among upper socio economic class, 25% among the middle class, and 41% among the lowest c lass (p = 0.016), No associations were found between prevalence of H. pylori infection and any factor tested including sex, smoking, and alc ohol consumption. In addition, type of housing, whether owned or rente d, number of family members living in the same household, water source , and type of community in which a child grew up were not found to be risk factors influencing H. pylori infection prevalence. The prevalenc e of H., pylori infection in Korea appears to be changing with markedl y lower prevalence in children of families of higher socioeconomic sta tus. The factor(s) responsible for the break in the pattern of transmi ssion in children of the higher socioeconomic class was not discovered , Future studies will concentrate on possible differences, eating prac tices, hygiene, and sanitary practices.