GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE PREVALENCE AND IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTERS SAUDI VISITORS IN TAIF CITY, KSA IN 2022

Aim: The study aimed to determine the magnitude of the problem of Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its impact on quality of life among patients attending primary health care centers, Ministry of Health, Taif, KSA. Methods: The study population constituted adult patients (18-62 years) attending the 19 primary health care centers, belonging to Ministry of Health in Taif, KSA. We used the GERD Questionnaire (GerdQ) to assess the burden and prevalence of GERD, and the WHOQOL-BREF tool to assess the life quality of participants. We analysed the data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: The study included 325 participants, whose age ranged from 18 to 62 years, with a mean of 37±12.6. Females constituted 54.2% of the sample, and nearly half of the participants (50.2%) had university education or more. The GerdQ average score among respondents was 8±5. The participants that scored 8 and higher were 29.8%. On the other hand, the overall quality of life score was 12.7±6.3, where the physical health and social relationships domains score were the highest (59.5±32.9, and 58.8±32.3, respectively). GerdQ score was significantly associated with educational level (p=0.009), presence or absence of chronic diseases (p=0.009), and BMI (p=0.000). There was a significant association between all the QoL domains with age (p=0.000), educational level (p=0.000), marital status (p=0.000), smoking status (p=0.000), presence or absence of chronic diseases (p=0.000), BMI (p<0.05), and average monthly family income (p<0.05). Conclusion: The GerdQ and quality of life scores had a significant negative correlation. University graduates, those with chronic conditions, and those with overweight and normal BMI all had higher GerdQ scores (more GERD symptoms). We recommend more emphases to screen, assess, and manage GERD among the general public as the prevalence of the condition is relatively high, and it has a significant negative effect on the life quality.