Abstract:

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is the most common cause of chronic gastritis, and is strongly linked to peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer as it is recognized to be as a type 1 carcinogen. While the infection is usually acquire in childhood, there is typically a long period of latency with disease manifestations not appearing until adulthood as Gastric cancer does not usually manifest until old age. The prevalence of pylori infections varies through the world and depends largely on overall standard of living of thing in the region, in developing parts of the world 80% of population may be infected by age of 20 years. Family contact with infected persons and crowded living conditions, low social economic status and lack of awareness favors the increased risk of acquiring the bacteria. The reduction of helicobacter pylori infection prevalence is possible through provision of community health education on transmission, clinical features, complications, prevention practices and increase awareness on availability of treatment.

Objective: To assess the awareness on transmission, clinical presentations, treatment, complication and preventive measures against helicobacter pylori infection in the community.

Method: This was a community based cross-sectional study; it was carried for six months from 20th September 2016 to 31st October 2016 in Ukiriguru, Usagara, Misungwi and Kolomije wards in Misungwi district to residents aged from 14 years and above in which 273 individual were interviewed using constructed questionnaires in Swahili language, data were analyzed in the SPSS version 17.0 Data was cleaned and all missing variables were identified and cleared.

Results: Among the participant interviewed were 41% and 59% male and female respectively by which 56.8% were married 42.1% were single and 1.1% were separated. Majority of participant was age group 21-30 years which was 41.8% of the population study followed by 14-20 years which was 17.2% and the least was age group above 71 years which was 4%. Occupation of interviewed participant 41.0% were peasants, 25.3% were employed,17.6 were students and 16.1% were self – employed. Those who had college were 37.4% secondary school 16.1% primary school 133.0% and those who never went to school were 13.6% Among the participants 28.6% were aware with presence of helicobacter pylori infections while71% were not aware with the infection. Among participant who had awareness with regard to level of education those who never went to school were 5.4% at primary school level were 7.8% At secondary school lever 20.5% At level of college were 58.8% this showered the role of education has high significance on awareness of the infection. 13.9% of participant knew the infection is transmitted by contaminated food and 17.9% by contaminated water and 75.8% didn’t know how is transmitted. People who were aware that the infection is treatable were 27.1% and only 1.1% claimed that is not treatable while 71.8% didn’t know whether is treatable or not. Among of the clinical presentations of helicobacter pylori, that heart burn was known for about 17.2% followed by nausea and vomiting 16.8% epigastric pain 12.5% anorexia 11.4% and least was of weight loss 6.2%

Conclusion: majority of individuals in the study area generally have moderate low level of awareness on transmission, clinical presentations, treatment, complications and preventive measures against helicobacter pylori, level of education affected much the awareness on the disease as those with low level of education had very low knowledge on transmission, clinical features, complication, treatment and complication compared with those with high education in the community.