Dietary Patterns, Psychological Stress, and Beverage Consumption as Determinants of Gastritis-Like Symptoms Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Gastritis-like symptoms among adolescents may be associated with unhealthy dietary habits and psychological stress. However, evidence on their behavioral determinants, including dietary patterns, stress, and beverage consumption, remains limited. This study aimed to identify factors associated with self-reported gastritis-like symptoms among adolescents. Methods: This study used a quantitative, cross-sectional analytic design. A total of 52 high school students were selected using total sampling. Inclusion criteria included active students willing to participate, while incomplete responses were excluded. The dependent variable was self-reported gastritis-like symptoms based on gastrointestinal complaints reported by adolescents, rather than clinically diagnosed gastritis. The independent variables included dietary patterns, psychological stress, coffee consumption, carbonated beverage consumption, breakfast habits, and sleep duration. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses with Chi-square tests and Odds Ratios (ORs). Results: The prevalence of self-reported gastritis-like symptoms was 50%. Most respondents had unhealthy dietary patterns (67.3%), psychological stress (61.5%), frequently consumed coffee (51.9%), consumed carbonated beverages (76.9%), skipped breakfast (75%), and had poor sleep quality (57.7%). Dietary patterns (p=0.031), psychological stress (p=0.004; OR=5.724), and coffee consumption (p<0.001) were significantly associated with self-reported gastritis-like symptoms. No significant relationships were found for carbonated beverage consumption, breakfast habits, and sleep duration. Conclusion: Dietary patterns, psychological stress, and coffee consumption were significantly associated with gastritis-like symptoms among adolescents, with psychological stress showing the strongest association. These findings support adolescent nursing interventions focusing on stress management, healthy dietary habits, and coffee consumption.