Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux in the central province of Konya

Background and Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux is a common disease of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Because of the localization of esophagus, gastroesophageal reflux can mimic the disease symptoms of other organs and mask the symptoms of the main illness. Furthermore, some of its complications can impair the functions of other organs. Reflux is common in the Western-societies; however, in Turkey, there is limited data related to the epidemiology of this disease. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal reflux in Turkey. Materials and Methods: In this study, 2000 individuals were randomly interviewed in the predetermined addresses of the central districts of Konya. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 1188 subjects (response rate, 59%), including 581 (48.9%) women and 607 (51.1%) men. The mean age of participants was 41.34±12.8 years. Gastroesophageal symptoms were prevalent in 10.9% of the study population. There were no significant associations between gastroesophageal reflux disease and sex, marital status, level of education, profession, or level of income. However, age and body mass index had a significant positive correlation with gastroesophageal reflux disease (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that one of every three subjects in the central region of Konya was overweight or obese and the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux was similar to that in the Western countries