Abstract:

Background: The term peptic ulcer consists of a break in the superficial epithelial cells penetrating down to the muscularis mucosa of either stomach or duodenum (1). Dyspepsia is defined as persistent or recurrent pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, characterized with symptoms like burning pain in the stomach, bloating, belching, nausea and vomiting, acid taste and growling stomach. Peptic ulcer disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world affecting the lives of millions of people in their everyday life.

Methods: Using hospital based cross-sectional study by using researcher designed questionnaire, this research was assessed knowledge towards peptic ulcer disease among patients with dyspeptic symptoms attending Nyamagana district hospital where the sample size was 196 people and data analysed by using SPSS.

Results: A total of 196 patients were interviewed. There is fair (satisfactory) level of knowledge of patients towards cause, risk and symptoms of peptic ulcer disease and there is poor level of knowledge 52.6% toward the complication of peptic ulcer disease to the patients attending Nyamagana district.

Conclusion and recommendation: There is fair (satisfactory) level of knowledge of patients toward cause, risk and symptoms of peptic ulcer disease and there is poor level of knowledge 52.6% toward the complication of peptic ulcer disease whereby poor level of knowledge is predominantly in informal and primary school level of education to the patients attending Nyamagana district hence the ministry of education in collaboration with other relevant ministries should develop policies on health education to the community on the cause, risk symptoms and complications of PUD