This study was conducted to evaluate the association between H. pylori infection and socioeconomic status and to determine the current prevalence of H. pylori infection in Korean adolescents.

A structured questionnaire was sent to the children's parents to obtain demographic information on the parents and environmental information. Of the 532 questionnaires sent out, 375 (70.5%; 170girls and 205boys) were returned. Their ages ranged from 10 to 15 years (mean, 12.9 years). After collecting blood samples, we measured serum IgG antibody to H. pylori using ELISA method. The association of risk factors such as age, sex, socioeconomic class, type of house, and crowding index with H. pylori infection were analyzed by multiple regression analysis. Socioeconomic status was estimated from the parents'education and occupation using a modified Hollingshead index.

The prevalence rate of H. pylori infection was 16.8% (63/375). It increased with age (10.3% at 10~11 years, 15.9% at 12~13 years, and 20.7% at 14~15 years). The H. pylori infection was inversely related to the socioeconomic class (6.3% for the upper class, 16.0% for the middle class, and 20.0% for the lower class). Crowding condition and type of house did not affect significantly on seroprevalence of H. pylori infection. After logistic regression, we found that the odds ratio for age was 2.2 (95% confidence interval 0.9~5.4), and for socioeconomic status, 3.6 (95% confidence interval 0.5~28.9).

The prevalence of H. pylori infection in Korean adolescents was 16.8%. It related inversely to socioeconomic status but was not statistically significant. Socioeconomic status based on parents' education and occupation seemed to affect more on H. pylori seroprevalence than crowding or type of house did.