Table 1

Population-based studies of the prevalence of GERD (defined as at least weekly heartburn and/or acid regurgitation, or diagnosed by a physician) included in the review

ReferenceCountryYear of studyPopulationAge group (years)Method of data collectionInvited sample sizeResponse rate (n (%))Recall periodPrevalence of heartburn (n (%))*Prevalence of regurgitation (n (%))*Prevalence of heartburn and/or acid regurgitation (n (%))*
North America
 Locke et al9USANot statedOlmsted County, MN25–74Postal questionnaire20731511 (72.9)1 year269 (17.8)95 (6.3)299 (19.8)
 Locke et al10USANot statedOlmsted County, MN25–74Postal questionnaire21181524 (72.0)1 year265 (17.4)101 (6.6)304 (19.9)
 Talley et al11USANot statedOlmsted County, MN30–64Postal questionnaire1021835 (81.8)1 year110 (13.2)54 (6.5)
 El-Serag et al13USANot statedLarge employer in Houston, TX18–75Postal questionnaire915496 (54.2)1 year125 (25.2)74 (14.9)138 (27.8)
 Jung et al8USA2003Olmsted County, MN20–95Postal questionnaire41942273 (54.2)1 year411 (18.1)
South America
 Chiocca et al14Argentina1998National (employees and community centres)18–80Postal questionnaire1000839 (83.9)1 year142 (16.9)138 (16.5)193 (23.0)
Europe
 Isolauri and Laippala18FinlandNot statedNational>20Postal questionnaire25001700 (68.0)1 week252 (14.8)247 (14.5)
 Valle et al22ItalyNot statedTwo large employers in Pavia21–68Physician interview768700 (91.1)1 year54 (7.7)46 (6.6)
 Diaz-Rubio et al17Spain2002National40–79Telephone interview86862500 (71.2)†1 year245 (9.8)
 Terry et al20Sweden1994–1997National‡<80Face to face interview1123815 (72.6)1 year136 (16.7)
 Lofdahl et al15Sweden2008National‡40–59Postal questionnaire23731483 (62.5)3 months130 (8.8)
 Ronkainen et al16SwedenNot statedKalix/Haparanda20–81Postal questionnaire13651000 (73.3)3 months259 (25.9)
 Mohammed et al19UKNot statedNational (twin registry)19–81Postal questionnaire89605032 (56.2)1 year706§ (18.0)
 Thompson and Heaton21UKNot statedNational (employees and elderly residents)17–91Physician interview315301 (95.6)1 year31 (10.3)
Middle East
 Nasseri-Moghaddam et al24IranNot statedTehran18–65Questionnaire, hand delivered and collected25002057 (82.3)1 year197 (9.6)251 (12.2)374 (18.2)
 Nouraie et al25IranNot statedTehran18–65Face-to-face interview30192561 (84.8)6 months543 (21.2)
 Nouraie et al26Iran2004–2005Tehran18–65Telephone interview14221202 (84.5)3 months26 (2.2)87 (7.2)105 (8.7)
 Solhpour et al27Iran2006Tehran10–80Face-to-face interview63255733 (90.6)3 months522 (9.1)
 Mostaghni et al23Iran2006Fars (Qashqai migrating nomads)≥25Face-to-face interview748717 (95.9)1 year237 (33.1)
 Sperber et al29IsraelNot statedNational (Jewish)≥20Telephone interview1221981 (80.3)1 year91 (9.3)
 Kitapcioglu et al28Turkey1998–1999Menderes≥20Face-to-face interview758630 (83.1)1 year63 (10)98 (15.6)126 (20.0)
East Asia
 Hu et al33China1996Hong Kong (ethnic Chinese)>18Telephone interview26401649 (62.5)1 year79 (4.8)
 Wong et al35China2002Hong Kong (ethnic Chinese)>18Telephone interview36052209 (61.3)1 year55 (2.5)
 Pan et al34China1996Beijing/Shanghai18–70Assisted self-completed questionnaire50004992 (99.8)1 year155 (3.1)
 Chen et al30China2003Guangzhou/Huizhou18–90Face-to-face interview35143338 (95.0)1 month73 (2.2)234 (7.0)260 (7.8)
 He et al31China2007Total18–80Questionnaire, completed at home or at residential committee offices, facilitators on hand18 00016 078 (89.3)1 month289 (1.8)675 (4.2)829 (5.2)
Shanghai3151143 (4.5)
Beijing3168120 (3.8)
Wuhan3283245 (7.5)
Xi'an3266218 (6.7)
Guangzhou3210103 (3.2)
 Cho et al32South Korea2000–2001Asan-si18–69Face-to-face interview18071417 (78.4)1 year28 (2.0)28 (2.0)50 (3.5)
Australia
 Eslick and Talley36AustraliaNot statedSydney≥18Postal questionnaire926672 (72.6)1 year78 (11.6)
  • Studies from the previous review are shaded in grey.1

  • *In some cases, numerators for percentage calculations have been back-calculated from reported percentages.

  • †A further 3681 individuals agreed to participate in interviews to be conducted at a later date, although these interviews never took place. Thus, the response rate was 71.2%.

  • ‡Age- and sex-matched to cases of oesophageal adenocarcinoma15 or cases of oesophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma;20 hence >50% male and predominantly of older age.

  • §This is a twin study, and reports the prevalence of GERD among individuals whose twin also responded to the survey (n=3920). The denominator for percentage calculations is therefore 3920, although 5032 questionnaires were returned in total.

  • GERD, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.