Prevalence of symptom-defined gastroesophageal reflux disease among general population of Herat, Afghanistan - A cross sectional study

Abstract Background: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a chronic digestive ailment that is characterized by the regurgitation of stomach contents back into the esophagus. This cross-sectional study aims to estimate the prevalence of symptom-defined GERD and their correlation with age and BMI among the general population of Herat city, Afghanistan.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Herat city of Afghanistan from March 1st, 2021 to March 25th, 2021. A respective sample of 400 adults participated in this study. Different variables were collected using a questionnaire developed. Data were evaluated in the IBM SPSS program.Results: 61.8% of the participants were aged between 18 to 34 years old. 59.3% of the participant's body mass index (BMI) was found to be normal and healthy. 50.5% of the participants were male and 41.3% of the participants responded that they have digestive problems. 42.5% of the participants had heartburn, 31.5% of the participants responded that they usually experience stomach acid coming up. 32.5% of the participants said that they have chest pain while 36.8% of the participants responded that they have indigestion problems.Conclusion: The result of this study shows that the prevalence of symptoms-defined GERD among the general population of Herat province of Afghanistan is higher than in many countries in the world. A significant association was found between heartburn and chest pain with the age groups. Also, a significant association was found between the indigestion symptoms of GERD and the BMI of the participants.