Summary
Introduction:
This summary will provide an overview of a study that examines the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) among electronic cigarette-smoking university students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study also explores the relationship between GERD and electronic cigarette smoking, as well as other factors such as body mass index (BMI) and smoking habits.
Key Points:
* The study was conducted among university students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using a cross-sectional study design.
* Of the 397 participants, 43.8% were non-smokers, 13.1% were ex-smokers, and 43.1% currently smoked, with 35% of those smoking electronic cigarettes.
* The study found that 19.9% of participants had GERD based on the GerdQ, with females having a significantly higher percentage of GERD.
* A weak association was found between the prevalence of GERD and smoking cigarettes (p=0.49), hookah (p=0.988), and electronic cigarettes (p=0.788), but this could be attributed to the high BMI.
* Participants with no underlying medical problems or those who had asthma as a chronic disease had a significantly higher percentage of having GERD (p=<0.05).
* Male participants had a significantly higher mean BMI compared to female participants (p=<0.05), but there was no significant relationship between BMI and smoking tobacco cigarettes, hookah, or electronic cigarettes (p=>0.05).
* There was no significant relationship between GERD prevalence and smoking status (cigarettes, hookah, and electronic cigarettes) or the prevalence of any smoking method (cigarette, hookah, or electronic cigarettes) (p=>0.05).
Main Message:
The study found no significant association between electronic cigarette smoking and GERD prevalence, despite the high prevalence of electronic cigarette smoking among university students in Jeddah. However, there was a weak association between GERD prevalence and smoking cigarettes, hookah, and electronic cigarettes, which could be attributed to high BMI. The study also found that females had a significantly higher percentage of GERD and that male participants had a significantly higher mean BMI compared to female participants. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to explore the relationship between GERD, smoking, and BMI in different populations.
Citation
Alturki NA, Alghamdi RA, Almehmadi RG, et al. Prevalence of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Among Electronic Cigarette-Smoking University Students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2023;15(3):1. doi:10.7759/cureus.35890
