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

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics of Physicians Who Responded to the Questionnaire

Demographics		Count	%
Total		474	100.0
Gender	Male	319	67.3
	Female	155	32.7
Age in years	25–29	254	53.6
	30–39	114	24.1
	40–50	74	15.6
	More than 50	32	6.8
Level of experience	Consultant	111	23.4
	Assistant consultant	54	11.4
	Fellowship	43	9.1
	Resident	266	56.1
Years of experience	Less than 5 years	279	58.9
	5 to10 years	93	19.6
	11 to 15 years	38	8.0
	More than 15 years	64	13.5
Hospital sector	Ministry of Health	220	46.4
	National Guard Hospital	20	4.2
	Medical City	25	5.3
	Armed Forces	65	13.7
	Security Forces	13	2.7
	Private Hospital / Polyclinic	49	10.3
	Primary Care	21	4.4
	University Hospital	61	12.9
Residence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia	Northern Region	74	15.6
	Eastern Region	81	17.1
	Central Region	114	24.1
	Southern Region	105	22.2
	Western Region	100	21.1
Specialty	Anesthesiology / Intensive care	21	4.4
	Dermatology	10	2.1
	Emergency medicine	6	1.3
	Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)	13	2.7
	Family medicine	61	12.9
	General practitioner	26	5.5
	General / pediatric surgery	52	11
	Internal medicine	142	30
	Medical microbiology / Immunology	3	0.6
	Neurosurgery	3	0.6
	Obstetrics and gynecology	15	3.2
	Ophthalmology	26	5.5
	Orthopedics	6	1.3
	Pediatric	38	8.0
	Pathology	9	1.9
	Pharmacology	3	0.6
	Physiology	2	0.4
	Plastic surgery	7	1.5
	Preventive medicine / public health	7	1.5
	Psychiatry	13	2.7
	Radiology	5	1.1
	Urology	6	1.3
Medical subspecialty	Cardiology	17	3.6
	Critical care medicine	16	3.4
	Endocrinology	10	2.1
	Gastroenterology	40	8.4
	Hematology	7	1.5
	I am not an internal medicine specialist	353	74.5
	Infectious disease	5	1.1
	Nephrology	4	0.8
	Neurology	5	1.1
	Oncology	3	0.6
	Pulmonology	8	1.7
	Rheumatology	6	1.3

Figure 1 Summary of physicians’ awareness of H. pylori infection in Saudi Arabia.

Table 2 Relationship Between the Demographics and Helicobacter pylori Awareness

Demographics		Total	Awareness Level	p-value
Total		474	76.99 ± 16.9	-
Gender	Male	319	77.23 ± 16.4	0.660
	Female	155	76.50 ± 18.0
Age in years	25–29	254	75.45 ± 18.6	0.132
	30–39	114	79.89 ± 14.7
	40–50	74	77.80 ± 13.8
	More than 50	32	77.01 ± 16.8
Level of experience	Consultant	111	79.67 ± 13.0	0.299
	Assistant consultant	54	76.06 ± 19.3
	Fellowship	43	76.74 ± 20.6
	Resident	266	76.10 ± 17.2
Years of experience	Less than 5 years	279	76.04 ± 17.3	0.175
	5 to10 years	93	79.11 ± 18.7
	11 to 15 years	38	74.25 ± 17.5
	More than 15 years	64	79.69 ± 10.9
Hospital sector	Ministry of Health	220	77.92 ± 16.0^A	0.007^a,b
	National Guard	20	66.07 ± 24.6^A
	Medical City	25	73.71 ± 19.3^A
	Armed Forces	65	77.69 ± 15.7^A
	Security Forces	13	65.38 ± 24.7^A
	Private Hospital / Polyclinic	49	75.95 ± 16.7^A
	Primary Care	21	78.23 ± 18.1^A
	University Hospital	61	80.68 ± 13.3^A
Residence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia	Northern Region	74	73.75 ± 17.8^AC	0.001^a,b
	Eastern Region	81	74.60 ± 22.7^ABC
	Central Region	114	79.64 ± 13.7^AB
	Southern Region	105	81.56 ± 13.7^B
	Western Region	100	73.50 ± 16.0^C

Notes: ^aStatistically significant using One-Way ANOVA Test at <0.05 level. ^bPost-hoc test = Games-Howell. CAPITAL letters indicate post-Hoc multiple pairing summary indicator. Having the same letter means the same measure statistically.

Table 3 Demographic Predictions for Helicobacter pylori Knowledge

Dependent Variable: Helicobacter pylori Awareness
Parameter	B	95% Confidence Interval		p-value
		Lower Bound	Upper Bound
Intercept	75.262	65.645	84.879	<0.001^a
Gender = Male	−0.295	−3.627	3.038	0.862
Age in years = 25–29	8.082	−1.997	18.161	0.116
Age in years = 30–39	10.704	1.350	20.058	0.025^a
Age in years = 40–50	5.178	−2.446	12.801	0.183
Level of experience = Consultant	1.179	−4.624	6.981	0.690
Level of experience = Assistant consultant	−0.865	−7.148	5.418	0.787
Level of experience = Fellowship	−1.360	−7.825	5.105	0.679
Years of experience = Less than 5 years	−8.152	−17.104	0.799	0.074
Years of experience = 5 to10 years	−6.258	−14.440	1.925	0.134
Years of experience = 11 to 15 years	−9.755	−17.827	−1.683	0.018^a
Hospital sector = Ministry of Health	−1.359	−6.349	3.631	0.593
Hospital sector = National Guard Hospital	−12.184	−20.860	−3.507	0.006^a
Hospital sector = Medical City	−4.934	−13.062	3.195	0.234
Hospital sector = Armed Forces	−0.516	−6.819	5.787	0.872
Hospital sector = Security Forces	−13.206	−23.350	−3.061	0.011^a
Hospital sector = Private Hospital / Polyclinic	−3.786	−10.216	2.643	0.248
Hospital sector = Primary Care	0.942	−7.637	9.521	0.829
Residence in Saudi Arabia = Northern Region	−1.007	−6.283	4.269	0.708
Residence in Saudi Arabia = Eastern Region	1.772	−3.177	6.722	0.482
Residence in Saudi Arabia = Central Region	6.039	1.452	10.626	0.010^a
Residence in Saudi Arabia = Southern Region	7.023	2.259	11.787	0.004^a

Notes: ^aStatistically significant using General Linear Model at <0.05 level.

Data Sharing Statement

All data associated with this study are present in the paper.