Knowledge and information sources towards Helicobacter pylori in Jordan

Abstract

In 2017, the Jordanian Ministry of Health reported that gastric cancer was one of Jordan’s most diagnosed cancers. Gastric cancer is often linked toHelicobacter pylori, one of the foremost risk factors. Despite the high prevalence ofH.pyloriin Jordan, no information is available regarding the general population’s awareness of the harmful effects of this pathogen. The study aims to assess the knowledge and the impact of the source of knowledge onH.pyloriamong the general population in Jordan. A cross-sectional study involving 933 participants was conducted between May and July of 2021. After meeting the inclusion criteria and consenting to participate in this study, participants completed the questionnaire. An interview-based questionnaire covered the following sections: sociodemographic data and knowledge related toH.pyloriinfection. 63% of the participants had a high level of education, 70.5% got their information aboutH.pyloriinfection from non-medical sources, and 68.7% had a low level of knowledge. Working in the medical field, attaining information from medical resources, and having a history of self-reported or family member ofH.pyloriinfection showed a significant association with a high level of knowledge. The Mann-Whitney U test showed that the mean ranks of all knowledge items in the medical source group significantly exceed those of the non-medical source group (p-values < 0.05). In Jordan, the awareness ofH.pyloriwas unsatisfying, like in other countries. Nevertheless, misconceptions in knowledge aboutH.pyloriwere identified and further awareness must be spread and advocated. Close observation of the non-medical sources of information is essential for delivering sufficient amount of knowledge to the general population.