Population-based study on the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul

Background and study aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is probably a frequent condition in our country. Most studies performed abroad which evaluated the prevalence of reflux symptoms did not verify the prevalence of reflux disease in the community. The purpose of this study is to verify the prevalence of reflux disease in the community by evaluating a non-selected sample of people in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Methods: A reliable and validated questionnaire was applied by 5 different medical students in a randomly selected sample of 818 people. Results: Of the 818 interviewed individuals (362 M/456 F, mean age 42.2 yr.), 22.5% referred heartburn or regurgitation at least once a week and 42.9% presented heartburn/regurgitation at least once a month. Reflux was more frequent among nonwhites than among whites, but gender, age, cigarette smoking, education level, and family income were not related to reflux symptoms. 115 (62.5%) of the 184 individuals with reflux symptoms every week have already sought medical care for this problem, as compared to 114 (31%) of the 364 individuals with less frequent symptoms (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is highly prevalent in Southern Brazil and is an important cause of medical consultations.