A Mediterranean-Style Diet in association with gastroesophageal reflux disease in adolescents

Abstract Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of common esophageal diseases in adolescents. Recent evidence has shown that dietary patterns might be associated with GERD risk. The aim of this study was to assess the association between a Mediterranean style diet (MedDiet) and GERD in a large sample of adolescents living in central Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted on 5141 adolescents aged between 13-14 years. Dietary intake assessed by using a food frequency method. The GERD diagnosed using a six-item questionnaire, which askes about its symptoms including heartburn, sense of reflux, poor sleep, medication use, nausea and epigastric pain. A binary logistic regression used to evaluate the relationship between the MedDiet score and GERD and its associated symptoms.Results: The analyses revealed that after adjustment for all possible confounding variables, the adolescents in the highest adherence to the MedDiet score had lower odds of GERD [odds ratio (OR)= 0.53; 95% CI 0.35-0.80, Ptrend = 0.005)], sense of reflux (OR= 0.45; 95 % CI 0.26-0.77, Ptrend = 0.01) and poor sleep (OR= 0.54; 95% CI 0.31-0.96, Ptrend = 0.02) compared with those in the lowest adherence. This association remained significant after adjustment for confounding factors including of age, sex, watching TV and computer and BMI. No significant link found between MedDiet and other GERD symptoms.Conclusion: The present study reported an inverse association between adherence to a Mediterranean style diet and GERD among Iranian adolescents. Adherence to MedDiet may be an important strategy in preventing GERD in adolescents.