Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and its association with body mass index in Najran, Saudi Arabia

Objective: To assess the prevalence of GERD and investigate its association with BMI among visitors to Primary Health Care Center (PHCC) in Najran, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using the GERD Questionnaire (GERDQ) to gather data from 447 patients attending PHCC in Najran. The questionnaire assessed the prevalence of GERD symptoms which had been endured by respondents in the previous week. Each respondent's Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated they were divided in groups based on their BMI: Underweight, Normal, Overweight, and Obese. To determine the relationship between BMI and frequency of GERD symptomatology, Chi-square tests were utilized. Results: We found that 32.7% of respondents received a positive diagnosis for GERD. Overweight and obese respondents had higher frequencies of heartburn, regurgitation, upper abdominal pain, nausea, and sleep disturbance than normal and underweight. The association between BMI and GERD was statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of GERD and its association with BMI among PHCC patients in Najran was high. Such data enhance our knowledge of GERD in this country and has the potential to inform early detection and effective management of GERD in primary healthcare.