The epidemiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease: a survey on the prevalence and the associated factors in a random sample of the general population in the Northern part of Iran.

Many people with gastro-esophageal reflux symptoms do not consult a physician; therefore studies on gastro-esophageal reflux in general practice or in hospitals may not accurately describe the burden of gastro-esophageal reflux symptoms in the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux disease and its association with some life-style parameters in Rasht-Iran. A telephone survey was performed. Phone numbers was randomly collected from the telecommunication service center of Rasht. 1473 people (Mean age: 38.31 ± 13.09) were included in the study. People who didn't answer the phone after three times or didn't have consent to enter the study were excluded. Data were collected by an examiner using a GerdQ questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire was tested by translation and retranslation and a pilot study was performed to assess its appropriateness. The prevalence of gastro-esophageal reflux was achieved 2.4% daily, 9.1% weekly and 11.3% monthly. Among the patients with gastro-esophageal reflux, 69.5% were female. There was a significant positive association between gastro-esophageal reflux prevalence and body mass index, smoking habits, eating salted or smoked foods, lying down immediately after the meal, taking certain drugs as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs/Amino salicylic acid and the age group of 30-45 year old. Overall, the prevalence of the weekly gastro-esophageal reflux in the present survey was 9.1% which was less than other similar studies in Iran and some other countries.