Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward Helicobacter pylori among residents in Northeast China

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice(KAP) concerning Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and the factors influencing them among northeast China individuals. A questionnaire regarding H. pylori, grounded in the KAP theoretical framework, was tailored for northeast China individuals. The questionnaire was conducted online and analyzed statistically. Additionally, structural equation modeling was applied to verify the interconnections among social media usage, knowledge, attitude, and practice. A total of 712 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The mean scores were 2.69 ± 1.03 for knowledge, 4.09 ± 0.81 for attitude, and 3.40 ± 0.73 for practice. Various factors including sex, occupation, and social media usage influenced knowledge, attitude, and practice scores, with social media usage exerting a notable impact on all facets. The structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that social media usage promoted higher levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding H. pylori. Individuals possessing a higher level of knowledge and attitude concerning H. pylori demonstrated superior preventive practice. Northeast China residents have limited H. pylori knowledge but show a positive attitude and good preventive practice. The utilization of social media has significantly improved the population's knowledge, attitude, and practice concerning H. pylori.