Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) is one of the most common diseases of the digestive system, the prevalence of which is increasing among different societies, including Iran. The purpose of this study is to investigate the frequency and identify the risk factors of this disease in the Persian cohort population

In this cross-sectional-analytical study, which is a part of the Persian cohort study, 10,520 people referred to the cohort were examined for reflux. These people were divided into two groups, infected and non-infected. Reflux was determined according to the person's self-expression by asking questions in this regard, including: Have you ever been diagnosed with acid reflux disease from the stomach to the esophagus? Then these people were determined in terms of demographic characteristics (age, sex, place of residence, marital status, smoking, alcohol, hookah, tea, coffee, opium, BMI, WHR, wealth index, educational status, occupation, drug use and habits). food) and clinical (physical activity, history of underlying diseases, laboratory results) were compared. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 and STATA version 17 software, and a significance level of 0.05 was considered

Of the 10,520 people studied, the average age of the participants was 51.52 ± 8.90 years and 3527 people (33.5%) were older than 55 years and 5633 people (53.5%) were women. The prevalence of GERD in all participants was 13.2%. People with GERD had higher education level (P=0.035), higher socio-economic status (P=0.018), higher body mass index (P=0.011), The ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference was higher (P<0.001) and physical activity was lower (P<0.001). The ratio of women in people with GERD was higher (P<0.001) and the ratio of employment in people with GERD was lower (P<0.001). Smoking was lower in people with GERD compared to people without GERD (P=0.037). The proportion of people with hypertension was higher in people with GERD compared to people without GERD (P=0.004). In total, the number of comorbidities was higher in people with GERD compared to people without GERD (P<0.001). The consumption of NSAIDs was higher in subjects with GERD compared to subjects without GERD (P = 0.001, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis (adjusted) to identify independent factors associated with GERD showed that female gender, having more Weight and obesity, number of comorbidities, NSAID use, high waist-to-hip ratio, and low physical activity were significantly associated with a higher risk of GERD

Due to the high prevalence of GERD in this population, it is of special importance to provide the necessary training to people in the field of risk factors, its prevention and proper treatment