TABLE 3.
Rates and hazard ratios of spontaneous clearance of Helicobacter pylori infection: univariate analysis
| Baseline characteristics | Cases/person-years at risk | Spontaneous clearance rate | HR (95% CI)* | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | ||||
| 5–8 | 19/303.0 | 6.27 | Ref | |
| 9–13 | 4/182.4 | 2.19 | 0.40 (0.12–1.34) | 0.138 |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 11/179.5 | 6.12 | Ref | |
| Female | 12/305.9 | 3.92 | 0.61 (0.27–1.36) | 0.225 |
| Iron status | ||||
| Normal† | 16/443.1 | 3.61 | Ref | |
| Iron deficiency without anemia‡ | 7/42.2 | 16.58 | 6.24 (2.37–16.43) | <0.001 |
| Height for age§ | ||||
| Normal | 16/316.0 | 5.06 | Ref | |
| ≤−1 SD | 7/163.4 | 4.28 | 0.84 (0.35–2.02) | 0.705 |
| Body mass index|| | ||||
| Normal | 19/382.4 | 4.97 | Ref | |
| Overweight or obese | 4/96.9 | 4.13 | 0.81 (0.28–2.40) | 0.709 |
| No. siblings | ||||
| 0 or 1 | 18/219.3 | 8.21 | Ref | |
| ≥2 | 5/265.6 | 1.88 | 0.24 (0.09–0.64) | 0.005 |
| Mother’s education level | ||||
| Middle school or more | 8/146.8 | 5.45 | Ref | |
| Secondary or less | 15/335.2 | 4.47 | 0.85 (0.36–1.98) | 0.700 |
| Crowding | ||||
| <3 people/room | 12/228.4 | 5.25 | Ref | |
| ≥3 people/room | 11/255.6 | 4.30 | 0.79 (0.34–1.85) | 0.593 |
CI = confidence interval; HR = hazard ratio; SD = standard deviation.
*
Crude hazard ratios obtained through proportional hazard regression with robust standard error.
†
Hemoglobin ≥ 11.5 g/dL in schoolchildren younger than 12 years or hemoglobin ≥ 12.0 g/dL in schoolchildren 12 years or older and ferritin ≥ 12 ng/mL.
‡
Ferritin<12 ng/mL and hemoglobin ≥ 11.5 g/dL in schoolchildren younger than 12 years or hemoglobin ≥ 12.0 g/dL in schoolchildren 12 years or older.
§
Population of reference WHO 2007 (17).