Attitudes and knowledge of general population on the infection with Helicobacter pylori

Unatoč velikom broju oboljelih od nezaraznih bolesti, još je uvijek mnoštvo oboljelih od zaraznih bolesti. Jedna od najčešćih zaraznih bolesti u svijetu je infekcija bakterijom Helicobacter pylori koja se nastanjuje u želucu domaćina i vrlo vješto svladava njegove obrambene mehanizme. Osim što je prisutna u više od polovice svjetskog stanovništva, problematika same bolesti je da većina ljudi nema prisutne simptome, a kroničnom upalom mogu nastati mnogi problemi poput gastritisa, čireva, pa čak i karcinoma želuca. Upravo ovi podaci razlog su provođenja ovog istraživanja o stavovima i znanju opće populacije o ovoj bolesti. Ujedno, cilj je bio potaknuti sudionike da istražuju i promišljaju u ovoj temi. Za potrebe istraživanja korišten je anketni on-line upitnik koji je proslijeđen sudionicima putem društvene mreže Facebook. Upitnik se sastojao od ukupno trideset pitanja. U istraživanju je sudjelovala 361 osoba. Rezultati istraživanja prikazuju da sudionici još uvijek ne znaju dovoljno o navedenoj bolesti. Problem je što se premalo govori o navedenoj temi, kako u društvu tako i putem medija, pa i ne čudi što još uvijek veliki broj ljudi ne zna dovoljno o infekciji bakterijom. Budući da je edukacija o navedenom nedostatna, rezultati ovog istraživanja mogu poslužiti kao dobra podloga za uvođenje kvalitetne edukacije poučavanjem, savjetovanjem, a posebice sveprisutnijom virtualnom komunikacijom. Istraživanje i edukacija dvije su ključne komponente zbog čega je ovaj rad važan za sestrinstvo, ali i budućnost same profesije.Despite the large burden of non-communicable diseases, there are still a myriad of people suffering from infectious diseases. One of the most common ones in the world is an infection with Helicobacter pylori, which settles in the stomach of the host and very skilfully avoids its defence mechanisms. In addition to being present in more than half of the world’s population, the problem with the disease itself is that most people have no symptoms present, while chronic inflammation can result in many problems – such as gastritis, ulcers, and even stomach cancer. This was the reason why conducting the research on the attitudes and knowledge of the general population about this disease was important. At the same time, the aim was to encourage participants to explore and reflect on this topic. For the purposes of the research, an online survey questionnaire was utilized and administered to the participants via the social network Facebook. The questionnaire consisted of a total of thirty questions. Furthermore, a total of 361 people participated in the study. The results show that the participants still do not have satisfactory knowledge about this important disease. The problem is that too little is said about this topic, both in society and through the media, therefore it is not surprising why many people still do not know enough about this bacterial infection. Since education on the above is insufficient, the results of this research can serve as a good basis for the introduction of good quality education through teaching, counselling, and especially via the ubiquitous virtual communication. Research and education are two key components, which is why this work is important for nursing profession now and in the future