Knowledge and Perception of Physicians of Different Specialties in Saudi Arabia Toward Helicobacter pylori

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a key pathogen causing several gastrointestinal diseases. Fortunately, H. pylori infection is treatable, which can lower its comorbidities. However, data assessing physicians' awareness of H. pylori is lacking in Saudi Arabia.Objective: To assess the knowledge and awareness of physicians of different specialties who practice in Saudi Arabia about H. pylori infection.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted between May and September 2022 on physicians across all regions in Saudi Arabia using a validated online questionnaire covering their knowledge and awareness of H. pylori infection. An independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Games-Howell as a post hoc test were used to analyze the data. A General Linear Model was also employed to determine significant predictors among the variables reliant on H. pylori awareness.Results: The results showed that the mean awareness score of 474 physicians was 76.99 +/- 6.9, indicating that participants had sufficient knowledge about H. pylori infection. In general, the internal medicine specialists (28.3%) had better awareness of H. pylori infection than the other specialties. Moreover, the university hospital sector performed the best, scoring 80.68 +/- 13.3, and the southern region had the highest-ranked physicians with a score of 81.56 +/- 13.7 in terms of H. pylori awareness. Furthermore, the general linear model revealed a statistical significance (p<0.05) for the following demographic aspects concerning H. pylori awareness: the physicians' age group of 30-39 years, duration of experience of 11-15 years, the hospital sectors of Nation Guards (NGH) and Security Forces (SFH), and the southern and central regions of practice in Saudi Arabia.Conclusion: Physicians in Saudi Arabia have relatively sufficient awareness of H. pylori; however, they are highly influenced by age, years of experience, the hospital sector involved, and the region where the physicians practice.

Automated summary

This study assessed the knowledge and awareness of physicians in different specialties in Saudi Arabia regarding Helicobacter pylori infection. The results showed that the participants had sufficient knowledge about H. pylori, with internal medicine specialists having better awareness. Age, years of experience, hospital sector, and region had significant effects on the physicians' awareness of H. pylori.