ArticleBMC family practice2009
Upper gastrointestinal symptoms, psychosocial co-morbidity and health care seeking in general practice: population based case control study.
Article in BMC family practice, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dyspepsia and gastric emptying in end-stage renal disease patients on hemodialysis.BMC nephrology · 2013Trial
- Prevalence of Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Gastric Dysrhythmias in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Indian Populations: A Real-World Retrospective Analysis from Electrogastrography Data.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Do Low-Risk Patients With Dyspepsia Need a Gastroscopy? Use of Gastroscopy for Otherwise Healthy Patients With Dyspepsia.Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology · 2022Article
- Health Care Resource Use and Associated Costs of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome in the United States.Gastro hep advances · 2022Article
- Physicians' adherence to management guidelines for H. pylori infection and gastroesophageal reflux disease: a cross-sectional study.Israel journal of health policy research · 2020Article
- Illness Perception of Patients with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2018Article
- [Patients with adverse drug reactions have a higher prevalence of emotional disorders].Atencion primaria · 2012Article
- Irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders: evaluating self-medication in an Asian community setting.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2012Article
- Association of upper gastrointestinal symptoms with functional and clinical charateristics in elderly.World journal of gastroenterology · 2011Article
- Gastrointestinal disorders and renal failure: exploring the connection.Nature reviews. Nephrology · 2010Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe pathophysiology of upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms is still poorly understood. Psychological symptoms were found to be more common in patients with functional gastrointestinal complaints, but it is debated whether they are primarily linked to GI symptoms or rather represent motivations for health-care seeking. Purpose of our study was to compare co-morbidity, in particular psychological and social problems, between patients with and without upper GI symptoms. In addition, we investigated whether the prevalence of psychological and social problems is part of a broader pattern of illness related health care use.
methodsPopulation based case control study based on the second Dutch National Survey of general practice (conducted in 2001). Cases (adults visiting their primary care physician (PCP) with upper GI symptoms) and controls (individuals not having any of these complaints), matched for gender, age, PCP-practice and ethnicity were compared. Main outcome measures were contact frequency, prevalence of somatic as well as psychosocial diagnoses, prescription rate of (psycho)pharmacological agents, and referral rates. Data were analyzed using odds ratios, the Chi square test as well as multivariable logistic regression analysis.
resultsData from 13,389 patients with upper GI symptoms and 13,389 control patients were analyzed. Patients with upper GI symptoms visited their PCP twice as frequently as controls (8.6 vs 4.4 times/year). Patients with upper GI symptoms presented not only more psychological and social problems, but also more other health problems to their PCP (odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.37 to 3.45). Patients with upper GI symptoms more frequently used drugs of any ATC-class (ORs ranging from 1.39 to 2.90), including psychotropic agents. The observed differences were less pronounced when we adjusted for non-attending control patients. In multivariate regression analysis, contact frequency and not psychological or social co-morbidity was strongest associated with patients suffering from upper GI symptoms.
conclusionPatients with upper GI symptoms visit their PCP more frequently for problems of any organ system, including psychosocial problems. The relationship between upper GI symptoms and psychological problems is equivocal and may reflect increased health care demands in general.
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