Abstract

Background: The reflux of stomach juices and acids from the esophagus is characterized as the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD causes a significant burden on the health budget due to management costs and a significant impact on the quality of life. Thereby, this study aimed to study the public awareness toward GERD in Saudi Arabia and to explore the relationship between the level of awareness and different socio-demographic factors.
Methodology: This was a community-based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in different regions in Saudi Arabia from December to January 2020. Data were collected online using a self-administered questionnaire.
Result: Out of the total 422 participants, 261 were male (56.9%) and 198 (43.1%) were female. The mean score of level of awareness was found to be 20.8 ± 5.4. Almost 341 (74.3%) participants had a good level of awareness regarding GERD. Gender and nationality significantly affected the level of awareness about GERD (p = 0.001 and 0.000, respectively). Also a significant association was observed between marital status, occupation, and income level in relation to the level of awareness about GERD (p-value was reported to be 0.000).
Conclusion: It was found that there was good awareness among Saudi people regarding GERD. The current results demonstrated the importance of educating the community about the disease and its associated risk factors and complications in order to reduce the burden of the disease among the population.

Key words: GERD, awareness, general public, Saudi Arabia