Epidemiology and Associated Risk Factors of Gastritis in Patients at District General Hospital, Amravati

Background and objectives: Many studies are carried out on the prevalence of gastritis in relation to H. pylori infection. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess the role of socio-demographic factors, dietary habits, economic status, stress level, family status, drug use and other medical conditions in the occurrence of gastritis. Moreover, no such epidemiological study has been conducted at Amravati District. Thus, it is essential to determine the prevalence of gastritis in this area in relation to above mentioned etiologic factors. Methods: A descriptive, observational, non-interventional study was carried out on 150 patients diagnosed with gastritis at District General Hospital, Amravati. Primary data were collected by interviewing the patients according to the etiologic factors based questionnaire. Results: Male population was found to be at greater risk for gastritis. Prevalence of gastritis is found to be more prominent in the age group of 14-25 and 36-45 years, respectively. The study found that physical work increases the risk for developing gastritis; subjects from urban locality are found to be more affected by the disease. Furthermore, daily consumption of irritant spicy food and tea may aggravate the gastritis symptoms. Frequent consumption of NSAIDS can be considered as a risk factor for developing gastritis. Moreover, there is a significant association between blood group A (Rh positive), psychological stress, menstrual history, sleeping time, education and risk for developing gastritis. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a brief overview of various risk factors for gastritis, particularly in the population under study and points out the possible risk factors for the prevention of gastritis. Key words: Gastritis, Prevalence, Risk factors, epidemiology, India