ReviewCureus2025
Physical Activity as a Modifiable Risk Factor for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common disorders, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Research suggests that physical activity (PA) can substantially reduce the occurrence of GERD. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the association between PA and GERD in Saudi Arabia. The databases searched included Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, NCBI, Scopus, and regional sources such as the Saudi Digital Library and Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Cross-sectional and quasi-experimental studies conducted in Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2024 were included to explore the relationship between PA and GERD. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A meta-analysis was conducted using MetaXL version 5.3 (EpiGear International Pty Ltd., Queensland, Australia), employing a random-effects model to estimate the overall prevalence of GERD. The OR was used to assess the relationship between PA and GERD. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the Higgins I² statistic and tested with the Cochran Q test. A total of 250 studies were included, comprising 6,183 participants. The pooled prevalence of GERD was estimated at 35% (95% CI: 24-47%). Individuals with lower levels of physical activity were 22% more likely to develop GERD compared to those with higher activity levels (pooled OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05-1.42). The analysis revealed a high level of heterogeneity among the studies (I² = 99%, p < 0.001). Five studies were rated as high quality, while two were of medium quality. In conclusion, low physical activity increases the risk of GERD in Saudi Arabia. PA appears to be an effective primary prevention strategy to reduce the incidence of GERD. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.