Background: O gastroesophageal reflux is a high prevalent disease with prevalence rates ranging from 21 to 56% in different countries.
Objective: To study the epidemiology and the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease among adult population (20 years and old) at the city of Pelotas, southern Brazil.
Methodology: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Household interviews were done between October 1999 and January 2000. Association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and age, sex, skin color, years of formal education, income per capita, marital status, psychological variables (insomnia, stressful psychosocial events in the last year, psychological distress), body mass index, smoking and weekly consumption of alcoholic beverages was assessed through logistic regression.
Results: Three thousands and nine-hundred thirty four (3,934) individuals were interviewed. A prevalence of 31,3% (CI 95% 29.9%-32.8%). After allowing for confounding gastroesophageal reflux disease was significantly associated with female sex, living without partner, low level of formal education, insomnia, psychological distress, reported stressful psychosocial events in the last year, obesity and overweight.
Conclusion: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a high prevalent disease and its main associated factors are sex, anthropometric variables and psychological characteristics.