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Prevalence of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Its Impact on the Quality of Life Among Obese Individuals in Al-Baha Region, Saudi Arabia

Ahmed T. M. Elshennawy, Ibrahim M. Shatla, R. Agwa, Hind A Alghamdi, S. Alghamdi, Abdullah Mohammad M Alnashri, Sarah M A Alqarni, Sami Saeed B. Alghamdi et al.

Cureus, 2024

314 participants · 4 citations

Abstract

Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a global gastrointestinal disorder, and obesity is a particular risk factor. Symptoms of GERD, such as heartburn and acid reflux, are caused by abnormal relaxation in the lower esophagus, causing gastric acid reflux. Persistent symptoms can affect the patient’s quality of life (QOL) and can cause complications, such as esophageal adenocarcinoma. Management of GERD includes lifestyle changes, antacids, and anti-reflux surgery. Even though GERD is a common disease, few research has been carried out on it in Saudi Arabia. Aim This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of GERD and its associated risk factors among obese individuals in the Al-Baha region population and the effect of GERD on their QOL. Methods A cross-sectional study included 314 obese participants from the Al-Baha region. A questionnaire was filled out to measure the prevalence of GERD, risk factors, and effects on the QOL of the participants. Data were analyzed by the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26.0 (released 2019, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test were applied. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with the incidence of GERD. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 314 patients who met our inclusion criteria completed the survey; 42% of them were women, the mean age of all patients was 35.3 ± 12.9 years, and 38.2% of the patients…

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