<i>Helicobacter pylori</i>Infection (<i>Hp</i>) among Children in the Northern Benin in 2018

Background: Hp infection is the most common chronic bacterial infection in developing countries and is contracted especially in childhood where it remains silent. Because of its involvement in the genesis of certain cancers, the WHO has classified Hp in the category of carcinogen class I. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Hp infection among children from a District in Northern Benin, and to identify the factors associated with it. Patients and methods: This scientific investigation is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study based on a prospective collection of data carried out from July to September 2018. Recruitment was probabilistic;it was based on the WHO cluster sampling technique implemented among children aged 3 to 10 years without recent history of antibiotic treatment and proton pump inhibitors. Hp infection was diagnosed during the search for bacteria antigen in the feces through a quick Elisa test which proved positive. Results: We included 250 children in the study. Among them, 151 (60.4%) had Hp infection. 79 (52.3%) out of the 151 infected children were female, i.e. a sex ratio of 0.91. Mean age for those infected children was 6 ± 2.3 years. Among the 151 children infected with Hp, 98 (64.9%) were asymptomatic. Factors associated with that infection were: children’s age > 5 years (p = 0.0461), use of contaminated drinking water (p = 0.0001), meals away from home (p = 0.0039), mothers’ low educational status (p = 0.0137) and low monthly income (p = 0.0116) as well as household size > 3 (p = 0.0002). Conclusion: Hp infection is common among children aged 3 to 10 years in Northern Benin. Often asymptomatic, it is facilitated and exacerbated by unsanitary conditions and low socioeconomic status.

Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in the Schools of Parakou in 2017

Introduction: The dietary changes and the new lifestyles which occurred in low-income countries like Benin resulted in a nutritional transition with its burden of overweight and obesity among the child and adolescent population who is still suffering from undernutrition. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with overweight and obesity in the schools of Parakou in 2017. Patients and Methods: This research work is a cross-sectional descriptive and analytic study carried out from May to June 2017 in the state-owned and private high/secondary schools of Parakou. It focused on a representative sample of 730 high school students randomly selected according to the WHO two-stage cluster sampling technique. The weight and size of each of the students included in the study were measured;and then their body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The data related to respondents’ dietary pattern and lifestyle were collected. Those data were processed using the software Epi Info version 7.2.1. The prevalence ratio (PR) was used to measure associations with their confidence interval and the difference was considered significant when p < 05. Findings: In total, 730 students were involved in the study, including 377 male i.e. a ratio of 1.1. Prevalence of overweight/obesity was estimated at 16.2% including 12.5% of overweight and 3.7% of obesity. The factors associated with overweight and obesity were female sex, excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and drinks, low level of physical activity and family history of obesity. Conclusion: A behavior change regarding the different contributing factors is necessary to reverse the trends in overweight and obesity prevalence in the high/secondary schools in the District of Parakou.