title: Patient characteristics and lifestyle recommendations in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objectives of this study were to describe the patient-reported frequency with which health care providers recommend lifestyle changes to patients with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) with respect to patient characteristics, eg, sex, age, body mass index, tobacco use, alcohol use, type of health insurance, and clinic location (rural vs urban).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in a five-center, university-based family practice in southeastern West Virginia. The first 50 patients enrolled in a prospective quality-of-life study of patients with GERD were used as the sample population. Telephone surveys administered immediately following the diagnosis of GERD included seven specific questions on lifestyle modification that may have been recommended by primary health care providers during the clinic visit. Patient-reported data were obtained from baseline surveys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five of seven (71%) lifestyle modification recommendations were reported by less than 50% of patients as being received from health care providers. Patients aged 60 years or older were less likely to report receiving recommendations than those younger than 60 years (P = .0002), and patients with a body mass index greater than 30 were more likely to report receiving eating-related recommendations (P = .047). Heavier smokers were more likely to report receiving recommendations than lighter smokers (P = .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on patient report, health care providers recommended lifestyle modifications to a modest percentage of patients with GERD and modified counseling for specific patient characteristics, such as age, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Additional prospective research using physician report and observation as well as patient report, and more numerous patient cohorts, is needed.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, USA.
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spiegler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking; D014903:West Virginia