title: Fast Eating Speed Increases the Risk of Endoscopic Erosive Gastritis in Korean Adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fast eating or overeating can induce gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis. However, the association between gastritis and speed of eating is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether eating speed is associated with increased risk of endoscopic erosive gastritis (EEG).
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a cross-sectional study involving 10,893 adults who underwent a general health checkup between 2007 and 2009. Two groups, EEG patients and EEG-free patients, were compared by using the t-test and the chi-square test. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between eating speed and EEG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The group with EEG had a higher proportion of males, average age, body mass index, and percentages of current smokers and risky drinkers than those without EEG. After adjusting for anthropometric, social, and endoscopic parameters, the group with the highest eating speed (<5 min/meal) had 1.7 times higher risk for EEG than the group with the lowest eating speed (≥15 min/meal) (odds ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.45).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High eating speed is an independent risk factor for EEG. Our results indicate the need for further studies to clarify the role of eating speed in gastritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Total Healthcare Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Joon
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: E-Yeon
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Sahmyook Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byoung-Duck
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Hwan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: Eating Behavior; Gastritis; Helicobacter pylori