Abstract

Background: Peptic ulcer is a common disease that can lead to several complications, such as bleeding and perforation. Identifying the prevalence and risk factors will help in prevention and early treatment to avoid further issues. Consequently, in this study, we aim to estimate peptic ulcer prevalence and risk factors among health science students at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU).
Methods: A cross-sectional study was administered by an online questionnaire in June 2022. The survey was distributed to all health science students who study at Umm Al-Qura University during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Results: A total of 342 participants were included in the study. The majority were males, accounting for 72.2%. Our study showed that only 4.4% of respondents had a positive history of peptic ulcer disease. We found that spicy food and Helicobacter pylori were the main risk factors for peptic ulcer disease among participants with 46.7% and 26.7% respectively.
Conclusion: Peptic ulcer disease is a worldwide health dilemma. Our study found that 4.4% of the participants have a positive history of peptic ulcers. The main risk factors reported among respondents were spicy food and Helicobacter infection with 46.7% and 26.7% respectively. Educational health efforts are recommended.

Keywords

Abdominal pain, Gastrointestinal bleeding, Helicobacter pylori, Health science students, Peptic ulcer.

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