Table 3. Prevalence and correlates of H. pylori among adolescent girls by background characteristics, nutritional status, and micronutrient status.
| Distribution (%) | H. pylori results | Correlates of H. pylori | Total (N) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive (%) | Negative (%) | aPR | 95%CI | P | ||||
| Age group (years) | ||||||||
| 10–14 | 55.3 | 12.5 | 87.5 | 1 | 994 | |||
| 15–19 | 44.7 | 20.1 | 79.9 | 1.49 | 1.08–2.07 | 0.016 | 817 | |
| Education | ||||||||
| Never attended school/ Primary | 34.5 | 14.9 | 85.1 | 1 | 587 | |||
| Secondary | 61.6 | 15.6 | 84.4 | 0.99 | 0.73–1.36 | 0.973 | 1149 | |
| Higher | 3.9 | 29.6 | 70.4 | 1.53 | 0.78–3.03 | 0.220 | 74 | |
| Caste/ethnicity | ||||||||
| Brahmin/Chhetri | 33.2 | 13.8 | 86.2 | 1 | 694 | |||
| Terai-Madhesi Other Castes | 11.4 | 14.1 | 85.9 | 1.06 | 0.56–2.01 | 0.863 | 119 | |
| Dalits | 16.4 | 22.8 | 77.2 | 1.45 | 0.92–2.27 | 0.107 | 314 | |
| Janajatis | 36.7 | 14.8 | 85.2 | 1.09 | 0.77–1.56 | 0.623 | 648 | |
| Muslims | 2.3 | 25.1 | 74.9 | 1.75 | 1.03–2.97 | 0.039 | 36 | |
| Ecological Region | ||||||||
| Hill | 44.1 | 15.3 | 84.7 | 1 | 767 | |||
| Mountain | 7.5 | 12.8 | 87.2 | 0.73 | 0.49–1.08 | 0.118 | 284 | |
| Terai | 48.4 | 17.0 | 83.0 | 1.33 | 0.89–1.99 | 0.168 | 760 | |
| Place of residence | ||||||||
| Urban | 9.8 | 15.4 | 84.6 | 1 | 207 | |||
| Rural | 90.2 | 16.0 | 84.0 | 0.88 | 0.53–1.47 | 0.635 | 1604 | |
| Province | ||||||||
| Province 1 | 16.4 | 15.4 | 84.6 | 1 | 291 | |||
| Province 2 | 21.1 | 15.2 | 84.8 | 0.85 | 0.45–1.59 | 0.602 | 196 | |
| Bagmati Province | 17.1 | 13.8 | 86.2 | 1.02 | 0.60–1.73 | 0.937 | 205 | |
| Gandaki Province | 10.4 | 9.0 | 91.0 | 0.71 | 0.43–1.17 | 0.181 | 184 | |
| Lumbini Province | 18.2 | 18.4 | 81.6 | 1.01 | 0.62–1.67 | 0.954 | 365 | |
| Karnali Province | 5.4 | 21.8 | 78.2 | 1.36 | 0.80–2.33 | 0.257 | 164 | |
| Sudoorpachim Province | 11.5 | 20.6 | 79.4 | 1.39 | 0.85–2.27 | 0.190 | 406 | |
| Wealth status | ||||||||
| Poorest | 23.0 | 19.2 | 80.8 | 1 | 486 | |||
| Poorer | 22.2 | 14.4 | 85.6 | 0.83 | 0.58–1.18 | 0.309 | 417 | |
| Middle | 20.1 | 15.5 | 84.5 | 0.82 | 0.53–1.26 | 0.359 | 332 | |
| Richer | 18.5 | 16.1 | 83.9 | 0.81 | 0.47–1.39 | 0.445 | 310 | |
| Richest | 16.2 | 13.6 | 86.4 | 0.62 | 0.36–1.04 | 0.071 | 266 | |
| Stunting (HAZ) | ||||||||
| No | 65.5 | 14.3 | 85.7 | 1 | 1097 | |||
| Yes | 34.5 | 18.2 | 81.8 | 1.20 | 0.93–1.54 | 0.163 | 594 | |
| BMI (Wt/ht2) | ||||||||
| <18.5 | 58.5 | 14.0 | 86.0 | 1 | 1038 | |||
| 18.5–24.9 | 39.2 | 18.5 | 81.5 | 1.12 | 0.82–1.53 | 0.485 | 730 | |
| ≥25.0 | 2.3 | 21.3 | 78.7 | 1.54 | 0.73–3.25 | 0.255 | 40 | |
| Iron deficiency a | ||||||||
| No | 82.2 | 15.3 | 84.7 | 1 | 1487 | |||
| Yes | 17.8 | 18.9 | 81.1 | 1.20 | 0.89–1.53 | 0.227 | 322 | |
| Risk of folate deficiencyb | ||||||||
| Yes | 16.2 | 14.3 | 85.7 | 1 | 239 | |||
| No | 83.8 | 16.3 | 83.7 | 0.74 | 0.53–1.02 | 0.066 | 1481 | |
| Total | 100 | 15.9 | 84.1 | 1811 | ||||
Abbreviations: HAZ: Height-for-Age; BMIZ: BMI-Body Mass Index
aBiomarker was regression-adjusted to a pooled country reference to adjust for inflammation, using CRP and AGP (ferritin) or AGP only. Iron deficiency defined as inflammation-adjusted serum ferritin <15 μg/L[32].
bFolate cutoff based on the risk of megaloblastic anaemia defined as RBC folate <305.0 nmol/L[32].