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BACKGROUND: Despite the widespread prevalence and serious clinical sequelae of infection with Helicobacter pylori, there have been few large population-based studies, using randomly selected subjects, examining the epidemiology of this infection. AIM: To examine the distribution and determinants of H. pylori infection in a developed country. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Overall 4742 subjects, aged 12-64, from Northern Ireland were randomly selected. METHODS: Helicobacter pylori specific IgG antibodies were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, using an acid-glycine extract antigen, in stored serum from subjects who had participated in three linked population-based surveys of cardiovascular risk factors performed in 1986 and 1987. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 50.5%. Prevalence increased with age from 23.4% in 12-14 year olds to 72.7% in 60-64 year olds: chi 2 for trend 518, P or = 25, infection was more common in males (60.9%) than females (55.2%): chi 2 = 9.53, P or = 20/day versus never smoked OR = 1.33 (95% CI: 1.05-1.67). Infection was not associated with height in adult males but mean height in infected women was lower than in uninfected women after adjusting for age and socioeconomic status: difference in mean height (SE), -0.85 cm (0.32), P < 0.01. There was no demonstrable relationship between H. pylori infection and current alcohol intake. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a high prevalence of infection in a population from a developed country. Previously reported associations between H. pylori infection, age, sex, social class, and reduced height in females were confirmed and smoking was identified as a possible risk factor for H. pylori infection.
Murray et al. (Fri,) studied this question.