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Objective: Our aim was to describe the foot alignment in National Football League (NFL) players with different symptomatic foot and ankle pathologies using weightbearing cone-beam computed tomography (WBCBCT), comparing them to normally aligned feet as control group. Methods: 41 feet (36 active NFL players) were assessed using WBCBCT and compared to 20 normally aligned controls from a normal population. Measurements included: Foot and Ankle Offset (FAO); Calcaneal Offset (CO); Hindfoot Alignment Angle (HAA); angle between inferior and superior facets of the talus (Inftal-Suptal); angle between inferior facet of the talus and the horizontal/floor (Inftal-Hor); Forefoot Arch Angle (FAA); navicular- and medial cuneiform-to-floor distance. Results: NFL athletes showed a neutrally aligned hindfoot when compared to controls (FAO: 1% vs 0.5%; CO: 2.3 mm vs 0.8 mm; HAA: 2.9° vs 0.8° in two groups, with all p > 0.05) and a normal morphology of the subtalar joint (no difference in Inftal-Suptal and Inftal-Hor angles). Conversely, in athletes we found a decreased medial longitudinal arch (FAA: 15° vs 18.3°, p = 0.03) with smaller navicular (38.2 mm vs 42.2 mm, p = 0.03) and medial cuneiform (27 mm vs 31.3 mm, p = 0.01) mean distances to the floor when compared to controls. Conclusion: In our series, NFL players presented a lower medial longitudinal arch than controls but a neutrally aligned hindfoot. WBCBCT may help shed light on anatomical risk factors for injuries in professional players. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective comparative study. RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever o alinhamento do pé em jogadores da National Football League (NFL) com diferentes patologias sintomáticas do pé e tornozelo usando a tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico com suporte de peso (weightbearing cone-beam computed tomography - WBCBCT), e comparar as medidas a grupo controle de voluntários com pés de alinhamento normal. Métodos: Quarenta pés (36 jogadores ativos da NFL) foram avaliados usando WBCBCT e comparados com 20 controles da população normal. As medidas incluíram: Offset do pé e tornozelo(FAO); Calcâneo Offset (CO); ângulo de alinhamento do retropé (HAA); ângulo entre as facetas inferior e superior do tálus (Inftal-Suptal); ângulo entre a faceta inferior do tálus e o solo (Inftal-Hor); ângulo do arco do antepé (FAA); distância navicular/solo e cuneiforme medial/solo. Resultados: Atletas da NFL mostraram retropé com alinhamento neutro quando comparados aos controles (FAO: 1% vs. 0,5%; CO:2,3mm vs. 0,8 mm; HAA: 2,9° vs. 0,8°, com todos p > 0,05) e morfologia normal da articulação subtalar (sem diferença nos ângulos Inftal-Suptal e Inftal-Hor). Por outro lado, observamos nos atletas profissionais um arco longitudinal medial diminuído (FAA: 15° vs. 18,3°,p=0,03) com distâncias médias do navicular/solo (38,2 mm vs. 42,2 mm, p = 0,03) e do cuneiforme medial/solo (27 mm vs. 31,3 mm, p = 0,01) menores quando comparados ao grupo controle. Conclusão: Em nossa série, os jogadores da NFL apresentaram um arco longitudinal medial diminuído em relação aos controles, mas um retropé neutro. WBCBCT pode ajudar a esclarecer os fatores de risco anatômicos para lesões em jogadores profissionais de elite. Nível de Evidência III, Estudo retrospectivo comparativo.

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether the antecedents of co-creation influence braggart word-of-mouth (WoM) in a participative leisure context, theorising the concept of co-created food well-being and highlighting implications for interactive experience co-design. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-method approach was used to test a theoretical model; 25 in-depth interviews with cooking class participants were conducted, followed by a post-experience survey (n = 575). Findings Qualitative results suggest braggart WoM is rooted in active consumer participation in co-designing leisure experiences. The structural model confirms that participation in value co-creating activities (i.e. co-design, customer-to-customer (C2C) interaction), alongside perceived support from service providers, increases consumer perceptions of co-creation and stimulates braggart WoM. Degree of co-creation and support from peers mediate some relationships. Research limitations/implications Limited by cross-sectional data from one experiential consumption format, the results nevertheless demonstrate the role of active participation in co-design and C2C interactions during value co-creation. This implies that co-created and co-designed leisure experiences can intensify post-consumption behaviours and potentially enhance food well-being. Practical implications The results highlight that integrating customer participation into service design, while also developing opportunities for peer support on-site, can stimulate braggart WoM. Originality/value Extends burgeoning literature on co-creation and co-design in leisure services. By encouraging active customer participation while providing support and facilitating C2C interactions, service providers can enhance value co-creation, influencing customer experiences and food well-being. Accordingly, the concept of co-created food well-being is introduced.

Purpose This study aims to develop a framework to identify the drivers underpinning food tourists' behavioral intentions (BIs). This framework centers on examining how local food consumption value (TLFCV), local food experiential value (TLFEV) and social media influencers (SMIs) impact upon tourists’ attitudes toward local food (ATLF) and food destination image (FDI). The impact of ATLF and FDI on tourists’ BIs is also examined. Design/methodology/approach PLS-SEM was used to test the hypothesized relationships using survey responses from 379 tourists visiting Rasht, Iran. Findings The results demonstrate that TLFCV, TLFEV and SMIs can be used to populate a theoretical framework for predicting and understanding the factors influencing tourists’ ATLF and FDI. Specifically, positive ATLF and FDI stimulated positive BIs (e.g., intending to recommend Iranian food to others and intending to revisit Iran in future for culinary tourism purposes). Practical implications The findings provide managers and practitioners within the culinary tourism industry with suggestions for how best to strategically market their offerings to increase inbound food tourism. Originality/value This study is one of the first to empirically evaluate the drivers of food tourists' BIs, presenting a newly developed model for deployment in future research. Originality is also established by simultaneously investigating TLFCV and TLFEV within the context of food tourism.

Framed by social exchange theory and Weber’s theory of substantive and formal rationality, this study investigates the mediating role of residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts. It examines whether community attachment, environmental and cultural attitudes, economic gain, and community involvement directly impact upon residents’ support for tourism development, or if their influences are mediated by perceptions of tourism impacts. Data were collected from residents within two historical cities in Iran: Kashan and Tabriz. The findings reveal that residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts play a significant mediating role in shaping the relationships between community attachment, environmental attitudes, and economic gain on support for tourism development. However, the results do not support the indirect effects of cultural attitudes and involvement on support for tourism development. This study thus extends extant knowledge by highlighting the mediating role played by residents’ perceptions of tourism impacts, comparing direct and indirect effects on support for tourism development.

This study investigates differences in tourists' conservation commitment at developed and developing heritage sites. It examines relationships between conservation commitment and related concepts: cultural motivation, place attachment, and participation. Data was collected from two troglodyte heritage sites: Kandovan, Iran (developing) and Cappadocia, Turkey (developed). Five hundred eighteen survey responses were collected at Kandovan and 627 at Cappadocia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to perform analysis. Multigroup analysis findings indicate that direct relationships among conservation commitment, cultural motivation, place attachment, and participation were significantly higher in the developing context; encouraging industry managers to use participative feedback to stimulate conservation commitment.

PurposeUnderpinned by the consumer-based model of authenticity (CBA), this study aims to investigate whether leisure involvement, object-based and existential authenticity, host sincerity and engagement stimulate positive memorable visitor experiences in a distinctive commercial hospitality setting: a living history site.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative data were gathered from living history site visitors (n= 1,004), with partial least squares structural equation modeling used to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe results confirm the inclusion of the hypothesized relationships between leisure involvement, sincerity and authenticity, relative to engagement and subsequent memorability. The findings suggest that engagement can be a predictor of a positive memorable experience, contingent on CBA constructs (sincerity; object-based authenticity; existential authenticity). The significant association between object-based authenticity and memorable experience identified herein differs from some published studies, while other results are broadly consistent with extant research. Results also reveal significant differences for visitors who purchased souvenirs when compared to those who did not.Research limitations/implicationsThe research extends the CBA by positing sincere hospitality as a relationship-based encounter between host and guest that influences social interaction, engagement and memorability within the novel living history site context. Further, the ability to differentiate visitors based on their purchases at the site is illustrated.Originality/valueGiven the ubiquity of engagement and authenticity as precursors to memorable experiences within contemporary commercial hospitality and heritage discourses, the findings apply to hospitality experiences beyond the living history site context examined herein.

The success of cultural destinations often centres on whether consumers trust the provenance and integrity of the heritage assets, activities, and services therein. However, few studies examine whether this ‘perceived trust’ influences the authenticity, sincerity, and memorability of cultural heritage consumption. To investigate the relationships between these constructs, we surveyed 320 visitors to Iranian cultural heritage sites. The findings suggest that perceived trust positively influences visitors’ perceptions of sincerity, existential authenticity, and object-based authenticity, stimulating memorable experiences in the process. This, in turn, emphasises the antecedent importance of perceived trust in shaping consumption. In the face of increasing commercialization within the cultural heritage sector more generally, we therefore encourage practitioners to prioritise safeguarding the integrity of their offerings, promoting heritage assets in a manner that stimulates perceived trust.

PurposeThe authors use two historical case studies (UK and Costa Rica) to explore the antecedents and legitimisation of sustainable development in hospitality and tourism, demonstrating the value of historical analysis through careful consideration of motivations, context and development type under different circumstances.Design/methodology/approachUsing government and private archival materials, oral history testimonies, industry reports and secondary literature, the authors deploy careful historical analysis of developing and developed country approaches to two cases of hospitality and tourism development and how this impacts on notions of sustainability.FindingsIssues surrounding sustainability in hospitality and tourism are longstanding and impacted by their situated context. In considering “bottom-up” and “top-down” approaches, this study finds that the private-sector is critical in legitimising tourism and hospitality development through addressing sustainability aims.Research limitations/implicationsIssues faced in developing hospitality and tourism markets should not be taken in isolation, and, by drawing upon historical cases, scholars can better-understand how developed tourism markets shape the sustainability of developing contexts.Practical implicationsThis study demonstrates how sustainability can be legitimised over time and in different contexts, in both government-led and business-led approaches, providing lessons for understanding the mechanisms by which to address these issues in future.Originality/valueHistorical analyses in hospitality and tourism remain relatively few. This study illustrates the theoretical and practical value of historical analysis of the pathway to legitimacy for sustainable tourism development.

Background. Childhood glaucoma is a rare multifactorial disease with limited information regarding the demographics and characteristics in the Filipino setting. It can be categorized via the Childhood Glaucoma Research Network Classification scheme. Objective. Determine the clinical classification of patients diagnosed with childhood glaucoma in the ophthalmology service of a government tertiary hospital in Manila, Philippines. Methods. Medical records of all patients ≤16 years-old referred to Glaucoma Section of Philippine General Hospital from January 2015 to December 2017 were reviewed retrospectively and classified. Results. One-hundred four (104) eyes in 77 children were classified. Glaucoma associated with acquired conditions was the most prevalent in 44.2% of the patients with trauma consisting of 19.5% of all patients. Primary childhood glaucoma consisted of 15.6% and juvenile open-angle glaucoma was diagnosed in 5.2%. Glaucoma following cataract surgery was noted in 7.8% of patients. Trabeculectomy was the primary surgical intervention in 22.2% of eyes, with 78.9% of eyes reaching an IOP control of

Purpose This study aims to investigate the combinations of religiosity, cosmopolitanism and perceived destination image leading to satisfaction and loyalty amongst Muslim consumers within the Maldivian tourism and hospitality context. Design/methodology/approach Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study reveals that diverse combinations of religiosity, cosmopolitanism and destination image dimensions stimulate satisfaction and loyalty in Muslim consumers. Findings Multiple recipes can be used to design compelling destinations that balance the desire for religiosity and cosmopolitanism characteristic of contemporary Muslim consumers. The results confirm the applicability of complexity theory in explaining Muslim consumer behaviour within the Islamic destination context. Practical implications Several implications for the hospitality and tourism industry are drawn from the results, with suggestions for future research provided. Each fsQCA recipe identifies distinct suggestions to shape the design of destination attributes and hospitality offerings to stimulate consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Originality/value Complexity theory was applied to assess the complex causal relationships among Muslim consumers’ religiosity, perceived destination image, cosmopolitanism, satisfaction and loyalty.

In 2016, articles appeared that mentioned a six-thousand-year-old amulet shaped like a wheel that had been discovered on an archeological dig in Pakistan in 1980. The amulet was not a beautiful example of metalworking. It was made of pure copper — and hence contained large crystals — rather than the alloys later favored for such work. Nor was it symbolically significant. It did not herald, say, the importance of wheels to ancient agriculture. Rather, the amulet was brought to the public’s attention because the technique used to make it — lost-wax casting — is supposed to be indicative of a highly innovative society. More importantly still: NASA still uses a process based on lost-wax casting — investment casting — to make equipment that has flown to the International Space Station and to Mars…

Food waste remains a serious environmental and economic concern within the hospitality and tourism industry. This study therefore investigates how managers, chefs, and employees in all-inclusive hotels view the impact of food waste and extant waste reduction processes in their workplaces. It explores (1) why and how food waste occurs, (2) employees’ perceptions of the reasons behind food waste, and (3) how it can be reduced in all-inclusive hotels. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were undertaken with 33 individuals working in all-inclusive hotels in Turkey. The findings indicate that guest behaviors, preferences, and attitudes are perceived as the primary stimulants of food waste. The findings also suggest that guests’ cultural backgrounds influence their eating behaviors, further contributing to the volume of waste generated. As such, this study provides a nascent exploration of employee perceptions of the reasons behind food waste, and how best to reduce it, in the all-inclusive resort hotel context.

PurposeRecognising tourists’ increasing desire for authentic destination-specific experiences, the hospitality industry has responded by increasing provision of innovative culinary activities. This study aims to use the concepts of serious leisure and terroir to examine how knowledge, physical environment and service quality influence co-creation within the culinary tourism context.Design/methodology/approachFollowing cooking class participation, 575 domestic Iranian tourists were surveyed. These educational classes provide opportunities to learn about local foods alongside peers in an interactive setting. Consistent with the benefits of serious leisure, this consumption context could prove conducive to stimulating co-creation.FindingsPrior knowledge strongly influences tourists’ reflective and recreational motives for participation (i.e. the benefits of serious leisure). This shapes how tourists evaluate physical environments and service quality therein; influencing value co-creation and supporting serious leisure as the conceptual lens through which to understand experiential culinary consumption.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed conceptual model was tested on domestic tourists following class participation. However, in suggesting that visually-stimulating, tactile premises with the olfactory appeal can encourage co-created experiences, the findings are relevant to service touch-point management more generally.Originality/valueRecognizing the influential role played by the physical and social aspects of experiential consumption, the serious leisure framework improves an extant understanding of value co-creation.

The science of materials has contributed to changes in our civilization as pervasive as they are profound. The ways we travel, communicate, wage war, build buildings, dress, heal, play sports, read, listen to music, use energy, and care for the young, the old, and the vulnerable have all been shaped and reshaped by our knowledge and mastery of metals, semiconductors, organic and biocompatible materials, gels, plastics, polymers, plasmas, and other substances. But our large-scale historical understanding of materials research is still surprisingly flimsy. We might say of materials research, as common as it is, what Clifford Geertz said of common sense: “it lies so artlessly before our eyes it is almost impossible to see”….

Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale for host sincerity. Design/methodology/approach The ten-item host sincerity scale was developed by following a multi-stage scale development procedure (Delphi technique, qualitative interviews and surveys). Findings The findings reveal that host sincerity is a second-order construct with two underlying dimensions: “sincere social interaction” and “sincere emotional response”. By incorporating host sincerity into the consumer-based model of authenticity, the findings established significant relationships among all constructs, confirming the predictive validity of the host sincerity construct. Research limitations/implications Data were gathered from visitors to troglodyte heritage sites (Kandovan and Cappadocia). Future studies should test the newly formed sincerity scale at other cultural destinations to further explore the generalisability of the scale. Further, data were gathered from tourists. Future studies should consider host sincerity from a host perspective. Practical implications Cultural destination managers and local hosts can use this instrument as a supplementary tool to evaluate how sincere their hospitality offering appears to tourists. Originality/value This paper develops a host sincerity scale to explore the importance of sincere host–guest interactions and tourists’ emotional response to these interactions. It extends the consumer-based model of authenticity by drawing further attention to the importance and impact of host sincerity in stimulating memorable tourism experiences.

Globalization in the business industry has established various challenges in the banking industry. It establishes criteria that seek to develop the business sector to promote ease and convenience for their clients and target audience. The banking industry in the Philippines has made its swift transition to carbon and paper transactions to paperless. It includes online transactions like online inquiry, transfer of funds, and digital marketing. The vast strategies in digital marketing have invited convenience and fast banking transactions. This paper employed the quantitative research and revealed that digital marketing in commercial banks have extended their reach to their audience, which increased the number of clients who can choose to buy various services and products of these banks. However, digital marketing has also reached its limit in terms of system failure and security issues. To resolve such issues, the commercial banks have strengthened their ICT systems in protection to their system and partners in the business.

PurposeThis study aims to examine how comprehensive performance measurement systems (CPMS) influence entrepreneurial orientation, market-focussed learning (MFL) and employees’ perceptions of firm performance within a service-provision context. It also considers the moderating effect of low and high levels of perceived market-turbulence (low-turbulence environments [LMT] vs highly turbulent environments [HMT]) on the relationships between these concepts.Design/methodology/approachPLS-SEM was used to test the hypothesised relationships using survey responses from 198 employees of a leading multi-branch travel agency in Iran.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that CPMS positively influence MFL and, in doing so, have a positive effect on perceptions of firm performance. However, the findings also suggest that CPMS negatively influence entrepreneurial orientation, and therefore can also negatively influence perceptions of firm performance. Further, the relationships between CPMS, entrepreneurial orientation, MFL and firm performance are stronger for HMT when compared to LMT for all relationships.Practical implicationsIndustry managers should adapt their CPMS to include measures specific to intra-organisational entrepreneurship and innovation and should pursue greater understanding of changing customer preferences.Originality/valueThis study highlights the importance of MFL as a means of avoiding the negative impact of underdeveloped market research on performance in the turbulent Iranian context. Contrary to previous literature, it provides an example of how CPMS can negatively influence entrepreneurial orientation in such environments.

This study investigates consumer engagement within the live sport-as-service industry by exploring the match-day experiences of spectator sport tourists. It highlights the importance of authentic and sincere experiences manifest through tourists’ interactions with local fans. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews with international tourists who had visited Glasgow and attended a Celtic FC match. The findings demonstrate that football clubs may overlook the importance of consumer engagement, and that local fans are crucial in sustaining sports tourists’ engagement. To this end, the findings suggest that tourist interactions with local fans can stimulate more memorable and enjoyable travel. Further, the vocal, visual displays provided by local fans contribute to an authentic and sincere travel experience. The study therefore suggests that local fans are a resource under-utilised by professional sports teams, with their contribution serving as a vital bridge between organisation and tourist in fostering engagement.

In response to the increasing ubiquity of social media platforms, improved consumer choice, and technological progress, the importance of consumer-generated content (CGC) continues to grow for organizations marketing their destinations, products, and services to tourists. Yet, despite the importance tourists place on CGC and information shared via social media, there remains a lack of academic focus in this area. To address this gap, we use a rigorous multi-step scale development procedure to create a scale centered on understanding the importance consumers attach to social media sharing (ISMS) from a tourists' perspective. Studies conducted across different contexts (Turkey and Scotland), comprising 1183 participants, were used to validate the newly developed ISMS scale. The scale indicates internal consistency and reliability, alongside construct and predictive validity. Directions for future research and the practical implications of the newly developed ISMS scale are discussed by way of conclusion.

Services reliant on revenue generated from tourism are often beholden to how authentic visitors perceive their offering to be. From a managerial perspective, this is exacerbated when they serve a dual-purpose, as both actively ingrained in local culture and as showcased international tourist attractions. As such, this study contributes to Kolar and Žabkar's (2010) consumer-based model of authenticity by assessing the relationships between serious leisure, object-based and existential authenticity, and visitor word-of-mouth recommendations in Iranian cultural tourism. Utilising PLS-SEM, and drawing upon responses from 615 visitors to the Tabriz Grand Bazaar, it thus extends the model's applicability to the developing Middle-Eastern context. The results extend extant research by emphasizing the importance of object-based authenticity, as opposed to existential authenticity, in stimulating positive visitor word-of-mouth recommendations. Consequently, this study advances the prevailing understanding of the role of authenticity in stimulating positive behavioural intentions by highlighting how destinations can stimulate visitor recommendations.

This paper examines the effects of negotiation intention, bargaining propensity, and discount satisfaction on word-of-mouth (WoM) behaviours for tourists visiting Tabriz bazaar, Iran. Data from 615-survey respondents highlight that tourists are motivated to conduct WoM behaviour when they are experientially satisfied with the opportunity to negotiate and bargain, and when they are satisfied with the discount they receive. This paper makes theoretical contributions to social exchange theory and presents managerial implications for policy-makers to generate tourism development.

Background/aims: Excessive skin hydration resulting from wet undergarments is a major cause of diaper rash in children and contributes to severe dermatitis in incontinent adults. Advancements in absorbent technology have led to diapers and incontinent garments that not only absorb urine, but also transfer it to different regions, and lock it away from the skin. The purpose of the present study was to develop a reliable method to assess the effectiveness of absorbent articles in mitigating skin hydration. Methods: Disposable diapers with different absorbent structures were wrapped around the forearms of adult volunteers, loaded with urine substitute, and held in place for 1 h. Hydration of the volar region was measured by evaporimetry and compared with that of skin in the diaper region of children who had worn control loaded diapers in the usual way. The amount of fluid retained in various diaper layers and in the superabsorbent polymer core was measured. Conclusions: Evaporative water loss measurement on adult forearms was shown to be a reliable test for comparing the effectiveness of absorbent articles in preventing excessive skin hydration provided that 1) the complete garment was used and 2) fluid was loaded in a manner that simulated normal urination. Skin on adult forearms and skin in the diaper region of children were concordant in their response to wet diapers. Skin wetness was directly related to the amount of liquid retained in absorbent layers close to the skin.

The Ivana Condominium Tower, which will be referred to as The Ivana for the remainder of this document is a 75 story reinforced concrete structure in design. The residential tower section will stand 973 feet tall and have an 11 story mixed use podium. Figure 1 is a rendering of the Ivana. Figures 2 and 3 provide architectural drawings of an elevation and typical plan.

Introduction: Infection with Helicobacter pylori has been established as a major cause of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers and is important in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Previous studies showed that H. pylori eradication reduced the number of gastric cancer cases by 35% worldwide. In the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, 90.39%, 54.9% and 96.6%, respectively, of stomach biopsies of gastritis patients tested positive for H. pylori infection. Serological testing is generally accepted as a valid non-invasive screening method for detection of H. pylori infection. Aims and objectives: The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori among healthy students and staff of Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU) using serology tests. Materials and methods: A self-administered screening questionnaire was distributed to students and staff of RAKMHSU and reviewed to determine eligibility. A 3ml blood sample was collected from 100 randomly selected asymptomatic volunteers, after obtaining their written consent, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test was carried out at IBS Laboratories (Dubai, UAE) to detect serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) against H. pylori. Results: Out of the 307 respondents, 11 (3.58%) tested positive for H. pylori and the most frequently reported symptoms included upper gastrointestinal tract pain, heartburn, and nausea and vomiting (14.3%, 12.05% and 7.5%, respectively). Awareness of H. pylori infection was reported in 71% of the respondents. Only 100 of those who did not have any symptoms suggestive of upper gastrointestinal disease (those who were healthy) were serologically screened for anti H. pylori IgG and screening revealed 36 seropositive volunteers and four with equivocal results. The mean IgG titre was 3.92±2.00unit (U)/ml, 3.98±1.61U/ml and 6.13±1.61U/ml in the age groups 17 – 28 years, 29 – 40 years and ≥ 40 years, respectively. H. pylori seropositivity was detected with higher frequency in women (23/36, 63.89%) and in Arabs (20/36, 55.56%), followed by Asians (15/36, 41.67%). Six out of eight volunteers with a family history of H. pylori infection were seropositive. Conclusion: This pilot study revealed H. pylori seropositivity in 36% of apparently healthy university students and staff. Further studies on larger populations are warranted to estimate the cost-effectiveness of detecting and eradicating this bacterium from the population. Acknowledgements: We are grateful to IBS Laboratories personnel for their support.

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