Knowledge of General Practitioners Regarding Some Fundamental Aspects of H. Pylori Infection in a Developing Country

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the level of knowledge of Pakistani GPs regarding various aspects of H. pylori. Methodology: This cross-sectional survey was carried out all over Pakistan from July to December 2019. Close-ended questionnaires were distributed to a convenience sample of 150 GPs and were requested to answer questions on demographics, importance, diagnosis, treatment and complications of H. pylori. The analysis of the data was done by SPSS version 20.0. Results: The mean age of all GPs was 42.6±8.2 years and females were in majority 53.8%. Most of the respondents 73.1% were graduates, 56.3% worked in clinics and 43.7% in Hospitals. Regarding the knowledge of various aspects of H. pylori, 45.4% to 58% positive responses were obtained to different questions. lowest score 45.4% was obtained regarding the question of whether H. pylori constitutes an important public health problem and highest score 58% on the question regarding the infectious nature of peptic ulcer disease. There was little correlation between demographic and professional features of GPs and knowledge about H. pylori. Conclusion: It was observed that the knowledge of most Pakistani GPs is only modest about H. pylori. There is a need of increasing awareness and educating GPs about this important pathogen. Key Words: general practitioners, H. pylori, questionnaire, survey, knowledge.