Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Prevalence ofHelicobacter pylori infection in Japan: Relation to educational levels and hygienic conditions

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

Epidemiological characteristics and multiple risk factors ofHelicobacter pylori infection in Japan were studied by both descriptive and analytical studies. We attempted to find out the association between some hygienic factors andHelicobacter pylori infection in Japan. Effects of lifestyle factors in later life time on the infection was also considered. Whole employees of a Japanese company were screened by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay methods (ELISA). Healthy (no current gastroenterological diseases) subjects’ childhood hygienic conditions and later life time lifestyles were surveyed by a questionnaire. A significant age-dependent prevalence ofHelicobacter pylori infection was found in the studied subjects. Experience of well-water drinking and no flush-toilet using in childhood as well as low educational level were shown significantly related to the infection. On the contrary, later life time lifestyle did not seem to affect the infected condition. Our study confirmed that early childhood hygienic condition had important effects onHelicobactor pylori infection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Marshall B, Warren J. Unidentified curved bacilli in the stomach of patients with gastritis and peptic ulceration. Lancet 1984; I: 1311–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Warren J, Marshall B. Unidentified curved bacilli on gastric epithelium in active chronic gastritis. Lancet 1983; I: 1273–5.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Parsonnet J, Friedman GD, Vandersteen DP, et al.Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of gastric carcinoma. N Engl J Med 1991; 325: 1127–31.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Parsonnet J, Hansen S, Rodriguez L, et al.Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric lymphoma. N Engl J Med 1994; 330: 1267–71.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Drumm B, Perez Gi, Blaser MJ, et al. Intrafamilial clustering ofHelicobacter pylori infection. N Engl J Med 1990; 322: 359–63.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mitchell HM, Bohane TD, Berkowicz J, et al. Antibody toCampylobacter pylori in families of index children with gastrointestinal illness due to C.pylori. (letter). Lancet 1987; 2: 681–2.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Malaty HM, Graham DY, Klein PD, et al. Transmission ofHelicobacter pylori infection: studies in families of healthy individuals. Scand J Gastroenterol 1991; 26: 927–32.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Jones DM, Eldridge J, Whorwell PJ. Antibodies toCampylobacter pyloridies in household contacts of infected patients. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed)1987; 294: 615.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Malaty HM, Engstrand L, Pedersen NL, Graham DY.Helicobacter pylori infection: genetic and environmental influences. A study of twins. Ann Intern Med 1994; 120: 982–6.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kuipers EJ, Pena AS, van Kamp G, et al. Seroconversion forHelicobacter pylori. Lancet 1993; 342: 328–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Mitchell HM, Li YY, Hu PJ, et al. Epidemiology ofHelicobacter pylori in southern China: identification of early childhood as the critical period for acquisition. J Infect Dis 1992; 166: 149–53.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Megraud F. Epidemiology ofHelicobacter pylori infection. Gastroenterol Clin North Am 1993; 22: 73–88.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Fennerty MB.Helicobacter pylori. Arch Intern Med 1994; 154: 721–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Graham DY, Adam E, Reddy GT, et al. Seroepidemiology ofHelicobacter pylori infection in India: comparision of developing and developed countries. Dig Dis Sci 1991; 36: 1084–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Goodwin C, Mendall M, Northfield T.Helicobacter pylori infection. Lancet 1997; 349: 265–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Malaty HM, Kim JG, Kim SD, Graham DY. Prevalence ofHelicobacter pylori infection in Korean children: inverse relation to socioeconomic status despite a uniformly high prevalence in adults. Am J Epidemiol 1996; 143: 257–62.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Malaty HM, Graham DY. Importance of childhood socioeconomic status on the current prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection. Gut 1994; 35: 742–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Anonymous. Epidemiology of, and risk factors for,Helicobacter pylori infection among 3194 asymptomatic subjects in 17 populations. The EUROGAST Study Group. Gut 1993; 34: 1672–6.

  19. Asaka M, Kimura T, Kudo M, et al. Relationship ofHelicobacter pylori to serum pepsinogens in an asymptomatic Japanese population. Gastroenterology 1992; 102: 760–6.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tsugane S, Tei Y, Takahashi T, Watanabe S, Sugano K. Salty food intake and risk ofHelicobacter pylori infection. Jpn J Cancer Res 1994; 85: 474–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Shinchi K, Ishii H, Imanishi K, Kono S. Relationship of cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and dietary habits withHelicobacter pylori infection in Japanese men. Scand J Gastroenterol 1997; 32: 651–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Cullen DJ, Collins BJ, Christiansen KJ, et al. When isHelicobacter pylori infection acquired? Gut 1993; 34: 1681–2.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hook NJ. Effect of alcohol consumption on the risk ofHelicobacter pylori infection. Digestion 1991; 50: 92–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Battaglia G, Di MF, Pasini M, et al.Helicobacter pylori infection, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. A histological and clinical study on 286 subjects. Ital J Gastroenterol 1993; 25: 419–24

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Graham DY, Malaty HM, Evans DG, Klein PD, Adam E. Epidemiology ofHelicobacter pylori in an asymptomatic population in the United States. Effect of age, race, and socioeconomic status. Gastroenterology 1991; 100: 1495–501

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lin JT, Wang JT, Wang TH, Wu MS, Lee TK, Chen CJ.Helicobacter pylori infection in a randomly selected population, health volunteers, and patients with gastric ulcers and gastric adenocarcinoma. A seroprevalence study in Taiwan. Scand J Gastroenterol 1993; 28: 1067–72

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Osaka University School of Medicine, Yamada-oka 2-2, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan

    Xing Yang, Tatsuya Takeshita & Kanehisa Morimoto

  2. Second Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka University School of Medicine, Osaka

    Hiroyuki Nishibayashi

Authors
  1. Xing Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hiroyuki Nishibayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tatsuya Takeshita
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kanehisa Morimoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yang, X., Nishibayashi, H., Takeshita, T. et al. Prevalence ofHelicobacter pylori infection in Japan: Relation to educational levels and hygienic conditions. Environ Health Prev Med 3, 202–206 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02932259

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02932259

Key words

Search

Navigation