ENFERMEDAD POR REFLUJO GASTROESFOFÁGICO: FACTORES DE RIESGO ENTRE ESTUDIANTES DE MEDICINA VS. DE OTRAS CARRERAS UNIVERSITARIAS, EN GUAYAQUIL-ECUADOR.

Abstract

College and university students constitute a population at risk for GERD due to their eating habits, stress levels, and substance use. Previous studies have established the relationship between GERD and various RFs; however, this is the first study carried out in Ecuador with the aim of evaluating GERD RFs among medical students and students of other degrees; and determine its relationship to the probability of GERD determined from the GERDQ. In this analytical study, 117 participants from seven universities in Guayaquil were included, they answered a self-reported online survey that evaluated 22 variables summarized in 4 categories: sociodemographic, anthropometric, general and eating habits; as well as the GERDQ questions. Only three RFs (medical career, high BMI, and frequency of alcohol consumption) were found to have a statistically significant relationship with the high probability of GERD, determined from a p value <0,05. And the university with the highest percentage of probability of GERD was the UCSG. Finally, the need to implement programs to reduce the RF observed among college and university students in Guayaquil is recalled.