English Abstract
Abstract: Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) infection is the main bacterial cause of several gastrointestinal
disorders. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in a population of Bahraini
adults seeking care in gastroenterology clinics in a tertiary care hospital in the Kingdom of Bahrain
and examine the association between dietary habits and other factors with H. pylori infection. The
study is a hospital-based retrospective, cross-sectional analytical study that included 200 participants.
H. pylori infection prevalence among the studied group was 55.5%, and it was significantly higher
among participants with a high school education or less (44.1%). Among dietary habits, the mean of
frequency of green tea, coffee and honey intake was significantly lower among the H. pylori infected
participants compared to their non-infected counterparts. H. pylori infection was significantly higher
among participants with vitamin D deficiency (63.6%) compared to participants with normal vitamin
D (30%) (p = 0.001) and each unit decrease in serum vitamin D was associated with an increased
risk of infection by 1.1 times (OR = 1.1; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.18; p < 0.001). The study revealed that high
educational levels, consumption of honey, green tea, and coffee, as well as normal serum vitamin
D level, were independent protectors against H. pylori infection. Additional studies are needed to
estimate the prevalence and predisposing factors of H. pylori infection in the general population.
