Poisson regression analysis of trends in the prevalence of GERD worldwide
| Included studies | Number of studies | Rate ratio* (95% CI) | p Value† | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporal trends in GERD prevalence | ||||
| Study year | ||||
| Pre-1995 | [11 20 21] | 3 | Reference | |
| 1995–1999 | [9 10 14 18 22 28 33 34] | 8 | 1.45 (1.22 to 1.73) | <0.0001 |
| 2000–2004 | [8 13 17 19 26 30 32 35] | 8 | 1.46 (1.23 to 1.74) | <0.0001 |
| 2005–2009 | [15 16 23–25 27 29 31 36] | 9 | 1.51 (1.26 to 1.82) | <0.0001 |
| Geographic trends in GERD prevalence | ||||
| Study continent | ||||
| North America | [8–11 13] | 5 | Reference | |
| East Asia | [30–35] | 6 | 0.24 (0.22 to 0.26) | <0.0001 |
| Europe | [15–22] | 8 | 0.68 (0.63 to 0.73) | <0.0001 |
| Middle East | [23–29] | 7 | 0.70 (0.64 to 0.77) | <0.0001 |
Prevalence of at least weekly heartburn used as a surrogate for the prevalence of at least weekly heartburn and/or regurgitation, when no estimate of the prevalence of at least weekly heartburn and/or regurgitation was available.
*Assessed using a Poisson regression model, adjusted for geographic region of study conduct.
†Assessed using the Wald χ2 test.
GERD, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.