Original Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 14, 2012; 18(6): 517-521
Published online Feb 14, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i6.517
Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in female Vietnamese immigrants to Korea
Su Jung Baik, Sun Young Yi, Hye Sook Park, Bo Hyun Park
Su Jung Baik, Sun Young Yi, Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 911-1 Mokdong, Seoul 158-710, South Korea
Hye Sook Park, Bo Hyun Park, Department of Preventive Medicine, Ewha Medical Research Institute, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 911-1 Mokdong, Seoul 158-710, South Korea
Author contributions: Baik SJ and Yi SY contributed equally to this work; Yi SY designed the research; Yi SY and Park HS conducted the research; Park HS and Park BH analyzed the data; Baik SJ wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Sun Young Yi, MD, Professor of Medicine, Gastroenterology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 911-1 Mokdong, Yangcheongu, Seoul 158-710, South Korea. syy@ewha.ac.kr
Telephone: +88-226505575 Fax: +88-226552075
Received: February 7, 2011
Revised: July 3, 2011
Accepted: July 11, 2011
Published online: February 14, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and its relationship to nutritional factors in female Vietnamese immigrants to Korea.

METHODS: A total of 390 female immigrants from Vietnam and 206 Korean male spouses participated in the study. Blood samples from 321 female immigrants and 201 Korean male spouses were analyzed for H. pylori antibodies. Data on age, sex, alcohol consumption, smoking status, dietary nutritional factors and gastrointestinal symptoms were collected using questionnaires. The daily intakes of the following nutrients were estimated: energy, protein, niacin, lipid, fiber, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, zinc, folate, cholesterol, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and E.

RESULTS: The prevalence of H. pylori positivity was lower in the immigrants than in age-matched Korean females (55.7% vs 71.4%, respectively; P < 0.0001) and the domestic population of Vietnam. The prevalence of H. pylori positivity among married couples was 31.7% for both spouses. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of smoking, amount of alcohol consumed, or nutritional factors between the H. pylori-positive and negative groups.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of H. pylori positivity was lower among female Vietnamese immigrants than among Korean females. Nutritional factors did not differ between the H. pylori-positive and negative groups.

Keywords: Vietnam, Immigration, South Korea, Helicobacter pylori, Diet