Prevalence and beverage‐related risk factors of gastroesophageal reflux disease: An original study in Chinese college freshmen, a systemic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Background Beverage‐drinking behavior could be a potential risk factor for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in young populations. However, GERD prevalence in this population has not been investigated, and beverage consumption's association with GERD remains inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and beverage‐related risk factors of GERD among Chinese college freshmen and in youth around the world. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted in Chinese college freshmen in September 2019 using random cluster sampling method. Participants completed questionnaires on demographic information, food intake frequency, and GER symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between beverages and GERD. Studies were retrieved from multiple databases for systemic review. The prevalence of GERD in young populations and beverage‐related risk factors were pooled using random‐effect models. Key Results Based on the 3345 individuals who completed the questionnaires, GERD prevalence in Chinese college freshmen is 5.1%. Multivariate analysis showed students who drink green tea daily, and those who drink coffee regularly were more likely to develop GERD compared with those who never drink tea or coffee. The pooled prevalence of GERD in young populations is 18.0%, and frequent alcohol consumption is positively associated with GERD in general population. Conclusions and Inferences The prevalence of GERD in Chinese college freshmen is significantly lower than that in worldwide youth populations. Alcohol, green tea, and coffee consumption could be potential risk factors for GERD. Future large‐scale epidemiological studies are warranted for reliable identification of beverage‐related risk factors for GERD in young populations.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Gastroesophageal Reflux Among Jazan University Students, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, when it comes to the studies among university students, our findings were consistent with other studies were conducted in Shaqra university in 2018-2019 and King Abdulaziz University in 2019, which revealed a comparable percent of the prevalence of GERD among students (23.8%, 25.9% respectively) [11,12]. Further, our results are higher than another study in Chinese college freshmen, the prevalence was 5.1% and it is lower than the study that was conducted in 1114 private-tuition students of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka; the prevalence was 52% [13,14]. These data suggested that GERD symptoms are a significant health problem among Saudi students.…”

“…Moreover, more than three meals per day were found to increase the odds of GERD (P-value < 0.05). In a previous study that was conducted in Sri Lanka, it was found that irregular dietary habits were found to be associated with GERD symptoms [13]. In contrast to another study in Shaqra University in Saudi Arabia, the authors reported that types of diet related to fatty and spicy food did not show a significant relation [11].…”

Effects of Coffee on the Gastro-Intestinal Tract: A Narrative Review and Literature Update

“…In contrast, one review and meta-analysis of 40 studies [48] and 11 single studies reported an association between coffee consumption and GERD [35,41,43,[62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69]. Most studies found a modest aggravation (10-20%), except for two Asian studies that reported 30-40% aggravation of GERD with coffee [43,66].…”

“…As detailed in Table 1, two meta-analyses [47,48] and 28 single studies looked at the effect of coffee on GERD. The outcome of the single studies was variable.…”

“…The ORs are not statistically significant between the groups with or without exposure to coffee. The second meta-analysis by Chen et al [48] included 21 studies, and it also reported no association between coffee consumption and GERD symptoms when all studies were taken into consideration (Relative Ratio (RR) = 1.07; 95% IC = 0.96-1.19, p < 0.001). A lack of association was found in retrospective, prospective, Asian, questionnaire-based, and high-quality studies, while the risk of GERD was increased by coffee in cross-sectional studies where the RR was 1.54 (95% CI = 0.40-5.93; p < 0.001), with obviously a large heterogeneity between studies.…”