Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent global chronic digestive disease that has significant consequences for one’s quality of life, health, and financial well-being. It is vital to recognize the current risk factors to take preventative steps. The current review aims to collect the current evidence regarding the prevalence, associated risk factors, level of awareness, and knowledge of GERD among health-related students in Saudi Arabia. Data were obtained through PubMed, and Google Scholar searches from 2016 until December 2021. Selection criteria were adjusted on the following terms: “gastroesophageal reflux disease,” “GERD,” “prevalence,” “Awareness,” “Knowledge,” “risk factors,” “student,” “health students,” “medical students,” “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” “Saudi Arabia,” “KSA.” Modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale criteria for cross-sectional studies have been utilized to assess the risk of bias and quality of data. The current review was registered with Prospero (CRD42021273651). Overall, four articles were scrutinized and critically appraised based on the eligibility criteria, and relevant articles were selected. The sample size was hugely variable among these studies, ranging between 197 and 1,228, with 2,055 participants. Furthermore, our results show that most of the included studies showed a high level of knowledge and positive attitude except for the single study. Focused nationwide programs are mandatory to increase knowledge among the Saudis’ health-related population. Although some studies have reported positive results, educational campaigns are still recommended for all population groups to improve the results and raise knowledge and awareness.
Key words: Gastroesophageal reflux disease, prevalence, risk factors, knowledge, students, Saudi Arabia.
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