Reviewer's report
Title:A population-based survey of the epidemiology of symptom-defined
gastroesophageal reflux disease: the Systematic Investigation of Gastrointestinal
Diseases in China
Version: 2Date:1 May 2010
Reviewer: Siavosh Nasseri-Moghaddam
Reviewer's report:
Dear editor
Thank you for sending me this manuscript for review. Overall the paper adds
good information and is the result of a time-consuming, difficult study. I believe it
deserves being published after some considerations. The following are my major
comments:
1) The different provinces in which the study has been performed need to be
explained in more detail including the followings (although some of the following
have been described in reference 9, but a brief summary as well as additional
information are needed in this report for clarification):
a. Population of each province and the proportions which live in rural and urban
areas.
b. Socio-economic status of each province and whether it is significantly different
between the provinces as well as in rural and urban areas.
c. Level of literacy in each area
d. Then the socio-economic status included in the analysis as one of the factors
which may probably affect GERD prevalence.
2) In the “Methodology” section, the authors have mentioned that they have done
a “regression analysis” (probably of the factors found to have association with
GERD). There is no notion of this analysis in the “results” section . Then in
table-4, there is a “multivariate OR” title. These need to be explained more in the
text, and the multivariate model described in more detail. In addition, the
univariate analysis results are better to be addressed.
3) “AR” has been reported to be more frequent than “HB” in other eastern
populations (Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008; 28, 144–153). This can be pointed in
the “discussion” section as possible cultural and/or pathophysiologic differences
between the GERD seen in the east and the west.
4) The cut-off point for obesity has been chosen as 27.5 kg/m2 in this study.
Even at this cut-off level there seems to be a trend for more GERD prevalence
among those with a higher BMI. Had the analysis been repeated with a cut-off of
30 kg/m2, then a relation may have been found. In addition, the percentage of
population with a high BMI is rather low as compared to similar studies from
other parts of the world. This may affect the findings as well.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
Reviewer's report
Title:A population-based survey of the epidemiology of symptom-defined
gastroesophageal reflux disease: the Systematic Investigation of Gastrointestinal
Diseases in China
Version: 2Date:1 May 2010
Reviewer: Siavosh Nasseri-Moghaddam
Reviewer's report:
Dear editor
Thank you for sending me this manuscript for review. Overall the paper adds
good information and is the result of a time-consuming, difficult study. I believe it
deserves being published after some considerations. The following are my major
comments:
1) The different provinces in which the study has been performed need to be
explained in more detail including the followings (although some of the following
have been described in reference 9, but a brief summary as well as additional
information are needed in this report for clarification):
a. Population of each province and the proportions which live in rural and urban
areas.
b. Socio-economic status of each province and whether it is significantly different
between the provinces as well as in rural and urban areas.
c. Level of literacy in each area
d. Then the socio-economic status included in the analysis as one of the factors
which may probably affect GERD prevalence.
2) In the “Methodology” section, the authors have mentioned that they have done
a “regression analysis” (probably of the factors found to have association with
GERD). There is no notion of this analysis in the “results” section . Then in
table-4, there is a “multivariate OR” title. These need to be explained more in the
text, and the multivariate model described in more detail. In addition, the
univariate analysis results are better to be addressed.
3) “AR” has been reported to be more frequent than “HB” in other eastern
populations (Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008; 28, 144–153). This can be pointed in
the “discussion” section as possible cultural and/or pathophysiologic differences
between the GERD seen in the east and the west.
4) The cut-off point for obesity has been chosen as 27.5 kg/m2 in this study.
Even at this cut-off level there seems to be a trend for more GERD prevalence
among those with a higher BMI. Had the analysis been repeated with a cut-off of
30 kg/m2, then a relation may have been found. In addition, the percentage of
population with a high BMI is rather low as compared to similar studies from
other parts of the world. This may affect the findings as well.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:A population-based survey of the epidemiology of symptom-defined
gastroesophageal reflux disease: the Systematic Investigation of Gastrointestinal
Diseases in China
Version: 2Date:1 May 2010
Reviewer: Siavosh Nasseri-Moghaddam
Reviewer's report:
Dear editor
Thank you for sending me this manuscript for review. Overall the paper adds
good information and is the result of a time-consuming, difficult study. I believe it
deserves being published after some considerations. The following are my major
comments:
1) The different provinces in which the study has been performed need to be
explained in more detail including the followings (although some of the following
have been described in reference 9, but a brief summary as well as additional
information are needed in this report for clarification):
a. Population of each province and the proportions which live in rural and urban
areas.
b. Socio-economic status of each province and whether it is significantly different
between the provinces as well as in rural and urban areas.
c. Level of literacy in each area
d. Then the socio-economic status included in the analysis as one of the factors
which may probably affect GERD prevalence.
2) In the “Methodology” section, the authors have mentioned that they have done
a “regression analysis” (probably of the factors found to have association with
GERD). There is no notion of this analysis in the “results” section . Then in
table-4, there is a “multivariate OR” title. These need to be explained more in the
text, and the multivariate model described in more detail. In addition, the
univariate analysis results are better to be addressed.
3) “AR” has been reported to be more frequent than “HB” in other eastern
populations (Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008; 28, 144–153). This can be pointed in
the “discussion” section as possible cultural and/or pathophysiologic differences
between the GERD seen in the east and the west.
4) The cut-off point for obesity has been chosen as 27.5 kg/m2 in this study.
Even at this cut-off level there seems to be a trend for more GERD prevalence
among those with a higher BMI. Had the analysis been repeated with a cut-off of
30 kg/m2, then a relation may have been found. In addition, the percentage of
population with a high BMI is rather low as compared to similar studies from
other parts of the world. This may affect the findings as well.
Level of interest: An article of importance in its field
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: No, the manuscript does not need to be seen by a
statistician.
Declaration of competing interests:
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
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