Association between coffee consumption and psychological stress with gastroesophageal reflux disease among Indonesian medical students

Medical students are experiencing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to academic demands, dietary factors, such as coffee consumption and psychological stress. This study examined the relationships among coffee consumption, psychological stress, and GERD among medical students. A cross-sectional simple random sampling study was conducted among 200 students at the Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta. The study found that a significant portion of students consumed coffee (53%), and experienced psychological issues, including anxiety (42%), depression (28%), and psychological stress (28%). GERD was found in over a quarter of student (27%). GERD was significantly associated with drinking high coffee consumption of more than 3 cups daily, long-term consumption of more than 4 years, instant coffee intake, depression, anxiety, and psychological stress (p < 0.05; 95% CI). However, in multivariate analysis only psychological stress remained the strongest risk factor significantly associated with GERD (OR 3.968; 95% CI 1.59–5.90). The study concludes that psychological stress is the strongest factor linked to GERD, more than anxiety, depression, or coffee habits. Reducing stress and limiting coffee may help lower GERD risk among students.