Prevalence of Peptic Ulcer Disease and Dietary Pattern among Students of a Private University in Nigeria

Ifeoluwa O. Bodunde; Elizabeth O. Aleru; Goodness Oluwafemi

doi:10.51745/najfnr.9.19.249-256

Prevalence of Peptic Ulcer Disease and Dietary Pattern among Students of a Private University in Nigeria

PDF (Full text)

Human and Clinical Nutrition

DOI https://doi.org/10.51745/najfnr.9.19.249-256

Issue Vol. 9 No. 19 (2025): January - June, 2025

Submitted 2024-10-01

Accepted 2025-05-22

Published 2025-06-25

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Background: Despite advancements in the medical management of Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD), its prevalence persists as a significant health concern, especially in Western Sub-Saharan Africa.

Aims: This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of PUD among university students and to investigate the dietary habits of affected individuals.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 340 students recruited from five faculties at a private university in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data pertaining to socio-demographics, PUD history, identified triggers, and dietary habits were collected using a structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (Version 26), employing descriptive statistics to summarize findings and Spearman’s correlation to assess associations between variables.

Results: The observed prevalence of PUD among the 340 university students was 12.4%. Among those with PUD, a substantial majority were female (87.8%), with 43.9% being in their fourth year of study. Approximately half (51.2%) of the respondents reported experiencing PUD crises 1–3 days per week. More than half were currently on medication, and 12.2% had received prior treatment. Key identified triggers included starvation (90.2%), stress (80.5%), and specific food items (85.4%). Regarding dietary habits, 63.4% occasionally consumed hot spicy foods, 68.3% drank carbonated beverages, 39.0% consumed fatty foods 2–3 times per week, and 29.3% consumed energy drinks. Notably, sex, family history, starvation, and stress demonstrated a significant negative correlation with the frequency of crises (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: In conclusion, this study elucidates the prevalence of PUD within the university student population and underscores the critical role of lifestyle factors in both the management and prevention of PUD crises within the academic community.

Keywords

Peptic Ulcer Disease University Students Triggers Lifestyle Dietary Habits

Ifeoluwa O. Bodunde

Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. P.O Box 30678, Secretariat Ibadan, Oyo State
Elizabeth O. Aleru

Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. P.O Box 30678, Secretariat Ibadan, Oyo State
Goodness Oluwafemi

Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. P.O Box 30678, Secretariat Ibadan, Oyo State

PDF (Full text)

How to Cite

Prevalence of Peptic Ulcer Disease and Dietary Pattern among Students of a Private University in Nigeria. (2025). The North African Journal of Food and Nutrition Research, 9(19), 249-256. https://doi.org/10.51745/najfnr.9.19.249-256

More Citation Formats

Download Citation

Anaemene, D. I., & Ochogu, E. U. (2022). Prevalence, symptoms and lifestyle aspect of peptic ulcer disease among undergraduate students of a Nigerian university. African Journal of Biomedical Research: AJBR, 25(2), 129–133. https://doi.org/10.4314/ajbr.v25i2.3

Archampong, T. N. A., Asmah, R. H., Wiredu, E. K., Gyasi, R. K., & Nkrumah, K. N. (2016). Factors associated with gastro-duodenal disease in patients undergoing upper GI endoscopy at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana. African Health Sciences, 16(2), 611–619. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v16i2.32

Bayana, E., Olani, A., Biratu, Y., Negash, A., Gelan, M., Eba, A., Nigatu, D., & Amsalu, B. (2021). Peptic ulcer disease: a cross-sectional study of symptoms and risk factors among students at Jimma University, Ethiopia. Gastrointestinal Nursing, 19(2), 36–40. https://doi.org/10.12968/gasn.2021.19.2.36

Bello, A., Umar, A., & Borodo, M. (2018). Prevalence and risk factors for helicobacter pylori infection in gastroduodenal diseases in Kano, Nigeria. African Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 17(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.4103/ajmhs.ajmhs_36_17

Crutchfield, R. M., Carpena, A., McCloyn, T. N., & Maguire, J. (2020). The starving student narrative: How normalizing deprivation reinforces basic need insecurity in higher education. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 101(3), 409–421. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389419889525

Dongo, A. E., Uhunmwagho, O., Kesieme, E. B., Eluehike, S. U., & Alufohai, E. F. (2017). A five-year review of perforated peptic ulcer disease in Irrua, Nigeria. International Scholarly Research Notices, 2017, 8375398. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/8375398

Dunlap, J. J., & Patterson, S. (2019a). Peptic ulcer disease. Gastroenterology Nursing: The Official Journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, 42(5), 451–454. https://doi.org/10.1097/sga.0000000000000478

Eniojukan, J.F., Okonkwo, O.C., & Adje, U.D. (2017). Risk factors, management and other correlates of peptic ulcer disease in a university community in south-south Nigeria. Pharmaceutical and Biosciences Journal, 5(6), 07–15. https://doi.org/10.20510/ukjpb/5/i6/166561

Fashner, J., & Gitu, A. C. (2015). Diagnosis and treatment of peptic ulcer disease and H. pylori infection. American Family Physician, 91(4), 236–242.

Hooi, J. K. Y., Lai, W. Y., Ng, W. K., Suen, M. M. Y., Underwood, F. E., Tanyingoh, D., Malfertheiner, P., Graham, D. Y., Wong, V. W. S., Wu, J. C. Y., Chan, F. K. L., Sung, J. J. Y., Kaplan, G. G., & Ng, S. C. (2017). Global Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Gastroenterology, 153(2), 420–429. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2017.04.022

Ikujenlola, A. V., & Adekoya, T. S. (2020). Nutritional status and feeding habits of females in public and private Universities in Osun state, Southwestern, Nigeria. Heliyon, 6(9), e05023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05023

Kavitt, R. T., Lipowska, A. M., Anyane-Yeboa, A., & Gralnek, I. M. (2019). Diagnosis and treatment of peptic ulcer disease. The American Journal of Medicine, 132(4), 447–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.12.009

Kawamura, N., Ito, Y., Sasaki, M., Iida, A., Mizuno, M., Ogasawara, N., Funaki, Y., & Kasugai, K. (2013). Low-dose aspirin-associated upper gastric and duodenal ulcers in Japanese patients with no previous history of peptic ulcers. BMC Research Notes, 6(1), 455. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-6-455

Konturek, P. C., Brzozowski, T., & Konturek, S. J. (2011). Stress and the gut: pathophysiology, clinical consequences, diagnostic approach and treatment options. Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology: An Official Journal of the Polish Physiological Society, 62(6), 591–599.

Lanas, A., & Chan, F. K. L. (2017). Peptic ulcer disease. Lancet, 390(10094), 613–624. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)32404-7

Lee, H. J., Kim, C. H., Han, I., & Kim, S. H. (2019). Emotional state according to breakfast consumption in 62276 south Korean adolescents. Iranian Journal of Pediatrics https://doi.org/10.5812/ijp.92193

Lee, Y. B., Yu, J., Choi, H. H., Jeon, B. S., Kim, H.-K., Kim, S.-W., Kim, S. S., Park, Y. G., & Chae, H. S. (2017). The association between peptic ulcer diseases and mental health problems: A population-based study a STROBE compliant article. Medicine, 96(34), e7828. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000007828

Lim, S.-L., Canavarro, C., Zaw, M.-H., Zhu, F., Loke, W.-C., Chan, Y.-H., & Yeoh, K.-G. (2013). Irregular meal timing is associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and gastritis. ISRN Nutrition, 2013, 714970. https://doi.org/10.5402/2013/714970

Marques, S. B., Mattar, R., Artifon, E. L. A., Sakai, P., & Carrilho, F. J. (2011). High prevalence of duodenal ulcer in a tertiary care hospital in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Arquivos de Gastroenterologia, 48(3), 171–174. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0004-28032011000300003

Maynard, M. S., Meyer, S. B., Perlman, C. M., & Kirkpatrick, S. I. (2019). Experiences of food insecurity among undergraduate students: “you can’t starve yourself through school.” Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 48(2), 130–148. https://doi.org/10.7202/1057107ar

Ogundele, A. E., Aleru, E. O., Bodunde, I. O., & Gbenro, O. E. (2023). Drivers of food choice, meal pattern, and lifestyle habits among undergraduate students in Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. World Nutrition, 14(2), 66–78. https://doi.org/10.26596/wn.202314266-78

Pengpid, S., & Peltzer, K. (2020). Skipping breakfast and its association with health risk behaviour and mental health among university students in 28 countries. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 13, 2889–2897. https://doi.org/10.2147/DMSO.S241670

Salari, N., Darvishi, N., Shohaimi, S., Bartina, Y., Ahmadipanah, M., Salari, H. R., & Mohammadi, M. (2022). The global prevalence of peptic ulcer in the world: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Indian Journal of Surgery, 84(5), 913–921. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-021-03189-z

Ezilkkavia, S., Bibin Rijo, W., Anagha, S., Raghul, G., & Arul, P. (2024). A prospective cohort study on metamorphosis of peptic ulcer dynamics: Insights into high risk paramedical students transformed knowledge, lifestyle and symptoms pattern. Journal of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Management. https://doi.org/10.18502/jppm.v10i2.16833

Siddique, R. A. H. (2014). Prevalence of peptic ulcer disease among the patients with abdominal pain attending the department of medicine in Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh. Bangladesh. Bangladesh. IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences, 13(1), 5–20.

Søreide, K., Thorsen, K., Harrison, E. M., Bingener, J., Møller, M. H., Ohene-Yeboah, M., & Søreide, J. A. (2015). Perforated peptic ulcer. Lancet, 386(10000), 1288–1298. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00276-7

Wang, F.-W., Tu, M.-S., Mar, G.-Y., Chuang, H.-Y., Yu, H.-C., Cheng, L.-C., & Hsu, P.-I. (2011). Prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic peptic ulcer disease in Taiwan. World Journal of Gastroenterology: WJG, 17(9), 1199–1203. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v17.i9.1199

Yim, M. H., Kim, K. H., & Lee, B. J. (2021). The number of household members as a risk factor for peptic ulcer disease. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 5274. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84892-5

Zhang, Z., Yan, W., Zhang, X., Wang, J., Zhang, Z., Lin, Z., Wang, L., Chen, J., Liu, D., Zhang, W., & Li, Z. (2023). Peptic ulcer disease burden, trends, and inequalities in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a population-based study. Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, 16, 17562848231210375. https://doi.org/10.1177/17562848231210375

More

Prevalence of Peptic Ulcer Disease and Dietary Pattern among Students of a Private University in Nigeria

Keywords

How to Cite

Similar Articles

Downloads 807

Views 913

Country (Top 10)

Make a Submission

JournalIssue

Keywords

Browse by Category

Information

Highly Accessed

Published by

Useful Links

Connect

Contact Us