title: Prevalence and risk factors of gallstone disease in a high altitude Saudi population.
abstract: To study the prevalence of gallstone disease and related risk factors in a Saudi Arabian population a cross-sectional community-based study was made of 291 people from Abha district, Asir region. A structured interview collected background data and all participants had upper abdominal ultrasonography to detect gallstones. The overall prevalence of gallstone disease was 11.7%. Using logistic regression multivariate analysis, the following were significant risk factors for gallstone disease: female sex, family history of gallstone disease and past history of pancreatitis. Age, education, blood pressure, smoking, coffee intake, overweight, diabetes mellitus, number of pregnancies and use of oral contraceptives were not significant risk factors. Discriminant analysis of symptoms showed that only right hypochondrium pain was significantly associated with gallstone disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia. saeed@kku.edu.sa
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Abu-Eshy
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mahfouz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badr
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: El Gamal
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Al-Shehri
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Salati
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rabie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000531:Altitude; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005414:Flatulence / Q000209:etiology; D042882:Gallstones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014463:Ultrasonography