Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and associated risk factors among medical students in the MENA region: a multinational cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract We aimed to assess the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) among medical students in Middle East countries and its associated risk factors. A multinational cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in 8 Middle East countries. GERDQ and GERD-HRQL were used to assess the prevalence of GERD and its HRQL, while DASS-21 was used to assess psychological conditions. A multivariate linear regression model and a multivariate logistic regression model were used to assess the risk factors for GERD and confounders that affect GERD-HRQL. 5994 participants participated in the study, with a mean age of 22.8 ± 2.4, and 58.59% were female. The prevalence of GERD was estimated to be 37.2% (30% had a 79% likelihood of having GERD, and 7.2% had an 89% likelihood of having GERD). Egyptian medical students, followed by Saudi Arabian students, had the highest prevalence, while Palestinian were the lowest. Increasing age and male gender were associated with increased GERD levels. Having coffee or spicy food was associated with increased GERD; coffee drinking was associated with its reduction, while psychological conditions or other eating behaviors were not contributors to an increase in GERD level. Several studies are needed to further assess the association between GERD and risk factors affecting its increase.