Background: Non-ulcer dyspepsia is one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) problems with a worldwide incidence of 21%. Although dyspepsia is not a life threatening condition, it can significantly impact the quality of life of affected patients. Several risk factors are suggested to increase the risk of dyspepsia such as smoking and over usage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of dyspepsia among the population of Taif city in the western region of Saudi Arabia in addition to determining its potential risk factors.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional observational study. Data was collected using a self-administration questionnaire based on short form of Leads dyspepsia questionnaire. A total of 1408 participants took part in the study while only 1276 were eligible for the statistical analysis.
Results: Results: Results showed that 66.1% of the participants suffer from dyspepsia. The subtypes of dyspepsia revealed 62.1% were suffering from heartburn like pain, 50.5% suffer from regurgitation, 58.0% suffer from nausea with variant frequencies. Females showed high prevalence of dyspepsia (P < 0.001) compared to males and nausea was statistically significant among females (P < 0.001). Smoking was associated with higher prevalence of reflux like variant (P = 0.017) and over usage of pain killers was also associated with higher prevalence of dyspeptic symptoms (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: It is important to minimize the unnecessary prescription of pain-killers to minimize the associated risks of developing GI disorders especially among females who are at a higher risk compared to males. In addition, raising the awareness about the risks associated with smoking can have a crucial role in lowering the prevalence and intensity of non ulcer dyspepsia.
Key words: Non-ulcer Dyspepsia; Short form Leads Dyspepsia Questionnaire; Pain abdomen; Smoking
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