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Prevalence and determinants of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in adolescents
Author(s) -
Chen JiannHwa,
Wang HsinYi,
Lin Hans Hsienhong,
Wang ChiaChi,
Wang LiYu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/jgh.12330
Subject(s) - gerd , medicine , asthma , odds ratio , confidence interval , population , psychosocial , pediatrics , food allergy , reflux , disease , allergy , demography , environmental health , immunology , psychiatry , sociology
Abstract Background and Aims Gastroesophageal reflux disease ( GERD ) is common in adults, and there are increasing secular trends in adult GERD morbidity in many countries. However, population‐based study on adolescent GERD was very limited. The specific aims of the study were to explore the prevalence and determinant of GERD symptoms in adolescents. Methods A population‐based association study was performed on 1828 students aged 13–16 years from four public junior high schools in T aiwan. The presences of symptoms of GERD , asthma and food allergy, demographic characteristics, and health behaviors were obtained by structured questionnaires. Results Complete information of symptoms of GERD and asthma were available for 1745 (95.5%) students. The cumulative and 3‐month prevalence rates of GERD symptoms were 20.5% and 8.9%, respectively. Multivariate‐adjusted odds ratio of having experienced GERD symptoms were 1.53 (95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.18–1.98) for ever smoking, 1.52 (95% CI : 1.12–2.26) for bi‐ethnicity, 1.70 (95% CI : 1.26–2.29) for food allergy, and 3.59 (95% CI : 2.69–4.82) and 2.43 (95% CI : 1.67–3.53) for having asthma attacks within or more than 1 year before, respectively. Similar results were found for 3‐month prevalence. Conclusions The study showed that GERD symptoms were frequent in junior high school students in T aiwan. Food allergy, asthma, and cigarette smoking were independently correlated with the prevalence of GERD symptoms. Psychosocial factors associated with bi‐ethnic family may contribute to its development.