title: Overlap of gastroesophageal reflux disease and functional bowel disorders in the general Chinese rural population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the overlap between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional bowel disorders (FBD) in the general population in rural areas in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in six villages in Nanmazhuang area in Lankao County (Henan Province, China) from December 2010 to October 2011. The GERD questionnaire (GerdQ) and Rome III criteria were used for the diagnosis of GERD and FBD and to determine the prevalence of GERD-FBD overlap.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate to the questionnaires of the patients was 91.5%. In all, 2950 of 3700 residents with a mean age of 42.4 ± 16.8 years were included. Among them, 4.8% were diagnosed with GERD and 4.6% with FBD. The proportion of respondents with FBD was significantly higher in the GERD group than that in the non-GERD group (25.53% vs 3.60%, P < 0.05). The prevalence of GERD in the FBD group was significantly higher than that in the non-FBD group (26.28% vs 3.73%, P < 0.05). The prevalence of GERD-FBD overlap in the general rural population was 1.22%. Logistic regression analysis indicated that anxiety was an independent predictor for the GERD-FBD overlap in GERD and FBD (odds ratio [OR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.09 and OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GERD-FBD overlap is more common than expected by chance in the general rural population, and anxiety is significantly related to the overlap.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.|School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Shun Tian
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li Ying
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wei Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.|School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Yun Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: functional bowel disorder; gastroesophageal reflux; irritable bowel syndrome; overlap; prevalence