Gastric troubles in Iran: The role of social and economic factors in infection.

BACKGROUND

infection is a major risk factor for gastric cancer in Iran, but the impact of socioeconomic factors on its prevalence is poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the socioeconomic inequalities and risk factors associated with infection in Iran.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted based on the PERSIAN cohort study. A total of 20460 individuals aged 35 to 70 years in Ardabil, Iran were included in the study. infection was determined based on stool tests and clinical records. Multilevel logistic regression models with random intercepts at household and community levels were used to identify risk factors associated with prevalence. The concentration index (CIn) and concentration curve (CC) were employed to assess socioeconomic-related inequality.

RESULTS

In this study, 70.4% (CI 69.6-71.0) of the participants were infected with , with a higher prevalence in women (71.2%) than men (69.6%). Age (OR: 1.37, CI: 1.17-1.61), sex (OR: 1.20, CI: 1.12-1.28), level of education (OR: 1.33, CI: 1.17-1.49), cardiac disease (OR: 1.32, CI:1.18-1.46), and BMI groups (OR: 2.49, CI: 1.11-5.58) were significantly associated with infection based on the multivariable logistic regression. The results of the CIn and CC indicated that were more prevalent among economically disadvantaged groups (CIn: -0.1065; [-0.1374 to -0.0755]).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of in Iran is higher than in other developing countries, and significant socioeconomic inequality exists between the poor and the rich. To reduce the rate of gastric cancer, socio-economic and demographic factors, especially the poor and people with low levels of education, should be considered.