Relationship between the dietary consumption patterns and prevalence of enteric bacterial pathogens in patients with acute gastrointestinal infections in Kirkuk, Iraq
College of Education for pure Science, University of Kirkuk, Iraq.
Research Article
International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences Archive, 2026, 11(01), 142-151.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijbpsa.2026.11.1.0029
Publication history:
Received on 11 February 2026; revised on 20 March 2026; accepted on 23 March 2026
Abstract:
Enteric bacterial infection is one of the leading issues of national health in Kirkuk, Iraq, where various eating patterns and environment conditions can affect the spread of the disease. This analytical, cross-sectional research was done on the period between January and December 2025 in primary healthcare centers and large hospitals in Kirkuk Province, to investigate the connection between dietary habits, environmental, and the occurrence of enteric bacterial pathogens in patients with acute gastrointestinal symptoms. Consecutive sampling was done to recruit 150 in patients with acute diarrhea. A structured questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic, dietary, environmental, and clinical data, and stool samples were processed with the help of the conventional method of microbiological culture and biochemical identification. Of the 150 samples that were tested; 102 (68.0 %) of the samples had positive bacterial pathogens. Escherichia coli was the most commonly identified pathogen (34.3 %), then Salmonella spp. (23.5 %), and the Shigella spp. (17.6 %). Important correlations were found between prevalence of infections and the frequent consumption of fast-foods (p = 0.004), consumption of undercooked meat (p < 0.001) and consumption of poorly washed vegetables (p < 0.001). Other environmental factors that had a significant association with infection were untreated sources of water (p = 0.002), poor hand hygiene (p < 0.001) and improper food storage (p = 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there were independent predictors of bacterial infection, namely, rare handwashing (OR = 3.8), untreated water (OR = 3.5), unwashed vegetables (OR = 3.1), and undercooked meat (OR = 2.7). These results indicate the key importance of behavioral and environmental factors, which can be modified to decrease the burden of enteric infections.
Keywords:
Enteric Bacterial Infection; Dietary Patterns; Environmental Factors; Hygiene Practices; Cross-Sectional Study; Iraq
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