title: Different sex-related influences of eating habits on the prevalence of reflux esophagitis in Japanese.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many types of food have been shown to affect lower esophageal sphincter pressure and esophageal motor function, and thus, the prevalence of reflux esophagitis. The present study was performed to clarify the different eating habits that predominantly affect the prevalence of reflux esophagitis in Japanese.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 2303 individuals (males: 1599, females: 704, mean age: 49.9 years) who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for gastric cancer screening. The daily dietary contents of the patients were analyzed using a self-administered questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 201 patients had endoscopically-proven reflux esophagitis, and the percentage of males with reflux esophagitis was significantly higher than their female counterparts (11.3% vs 2.8%). The body mass indexes of individuals with reflux esophagitis were significantly higher than those without, both for males and females. Total energy intake was the most important risk factor for the occurrence of reflux esophagitis in males, but the food content was not a significant risk factor. Dietary habit did not affect the prevalence of reflux esophagitis in the female patients. The age and height of females with reflux esophagitis significantly exceeded those of females without reflux esophagitis, and were independent risk factors for the occurrence of reflux esophagitis only in the female patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a sex-related difference in the influence of eating habits on the prevalence of reflux esophagitis in Japanese.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizuta
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: Terumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koshino
authors.forename: Shino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Masuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sumikawa
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanpei
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001827:Body Height / Q000208:ethnology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000208:ethnology; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires