Combined Healthy Lifestyle Is Inversely Associated with Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders among Iranian Adults

Abstract

Objective: Although lifestyle-related factors have separately been examined in relation to functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), there is no epidemiological data on the combined association of lifestyle factors with these conditions. We aimed to examine how combinations of several lifestyle factors were associated with functional dyspepsia (FD), its symptoms, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in a large group of Iranian adults. Design, Setting, and Subjects: In a cross-sectional study on 3,363 Iranian adults, we calculated the “healthy lifestyle score” for each participant by summing up the binary score given for 5 lifestyle factors, including dietary habits, dietary intakes, psychological distress, smoking, and physical activity. A dish-based 106-item semi-quantitative validated food frequency questionnaire, General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire, and other pre-tested questionnaires were used to assess the components of healthy lifestyle score. To assess FGIDs, a validated Persian version of ROME III questionnaire was used. Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, we found that individuals with the highest score of healthy lifestyle had 79 and 74% lower odds of FD (OR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.05–0.92) and GERD (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.09–0.69), respectively, compared with those with the lowest score. They were also less likely to have early satiation (OR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.11–0.73), postprandial fullness (OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.09–0.50), and epigastric pain (OR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.21–0.92). In addition to the combined healthy lifestyle score, low levels of psychological distress, a healthy diet, healthy dietary habits, and nonsmoking were separately and protectively associated with FGIDs. Conclusion: We found that adherence to a healthy lifestyle was associated with lower odds of GERD, FD, and its symptoms in this group of Iranian adults, in a dose-response manner. Individual lifestyle-related factors were also associated with these conditions.

Prevalence of Dyspepsia in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…14 Many researchers have investigated the prevalence of dyspepsia in the Iranian population, but the results are not consistent. [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Thus, a coherent survey of all documents and combining them can provide a more comprehensive picture of the dimensions of this illness in Iranian community. The results of this meta-analysis can provide a more accurate estimate regarding the effect of therapies or risk factors for the illness or other results through combining different studies.…”

A standardized extract ofOpuntia ficus‐indica(L.) Mill andOlea europaeaL. improves gastrointestinal discomfort: Adouble‐blinded randomized‐controlledstudy

“…This condition has a harmful effect on the QoL and is strictly correlated to psychological factors exacerbating some symptoms such as abdominal bloating (Seo, Kim, & Oh, 2013). Unhealthy eating habits and incorrect lifestyles might be also considered independent predictors of gastrointestinal health (Saneei, Esmaillzadeh, Keshteli, et al, 2020). Other overlapping gastrointestinal disorders are usually present in these subjects (Isshi et al, 2019).…”

Total fat and omega-3 fatty acids intake in relation to serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and psychological disorders in Iranian adults

“…This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 and included a representative sample of Iranian adults living in a large central city of Iran (Isfahan). By taking a confidence interval of 95%, precision (d) of 4% and 30% prevalence of depression among Iranian adults 4 into account, a least sample size of 505 was acceptable for this investigation. Since covid-19 pandemic was very prevalent during our data collection, we invited a total of 600 individuals to participate in the study.…”

“…Depression and anxiety have respectively influenced approximately 4.7 and 7.3% of the population around the world 1 , 2 ; women are more prone to psychological disorders than men 3 . Prevalence of depression in Iran was approximately 30% 4 . These psychiatric disorders have adverse effects on quality of life and are related to obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular disease (CVD), myocardial infarction (MI), and suicidal behaviors 5 – 8 .…”