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:4 April 2010
Reviewer: Khean-Lee Goh
Reviewer's report:
This study is a snapshot view of several cities (with a rural population?) of China.
Although it has a large sample size the overall figures does not necessarily
represent China...The data should rightly be interpreted city by city (as has been
done) rather than amalgamating them!.......what does it represent then?
The details of RDQ must be clarifed in this paper....what is meant by mild etc etc
and what is signifcant severity of symptoms and at least a general description on
how the scores are calcuated. It has to be stressed that the questionaire is
validated in Chinese. Methodology is not convincing enough to me!
Some explanation must be made on why rural population has higher GERD.
Need also to explain how 5 big cities have such a big rural population. A reader
from oustide China will be thoruoghly confused.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
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:4 April 2010
Reviewer: Khean-Lee Goh
Reviewer's report:
This study is a snapshot view of several cities (with a rural population?) of China.
Although it has a large sample size the overall figures does not necessarily
represent China...The data should rightly be interpreted city by city (as has been
done) rather than amalgamating them!.......what does it represent then?
The details of RDQ must be clarifed in this paper....what is meant by mild etc etc
and what is signifcant severity of symptoms and at least a general description on
how the scores are calcuated. It has to be stressed that the questionaire is
validated in Chinese. Methodology is not convincing enough to me!
Some explanation must be made on why rural population has higher GERD.
Need also to explain how 5 big cities have such a big rural population. A reader
from oustide China will be thoruoghly confused.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
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:4 April 2010
Reviewer: Khean-Lee Goh
Reviewer's report:
This study is a snapshot view of several cities (with a rural population?) of China.
Although it has a large sample size the overall figures does not necessarily
represent China...The data should rightly be interpreted city by city (as has been
done) rather than amalgamating them!.......what does it represent then?
The details of RDQ must be clarifed in this paper....what is meant by mild etc etc
and what is signifcant severity of symptoms and at least a general description on
how the scores are calcuated. It has to be stressed that the questionaire is
validated in Chinese. Methodology is not convincing enough to me!
Some explanation must be made on why rural population has higher GERD.
Need also to explain how 5 big cities have such a big rural population. A reader
from oustide China will be thoruoghly confused.
Level of interest: An article whose findings are important to those with closely
related research interests
Quality of written English: Acceptable
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
'I declare that I have no competing interests'
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