Table 1.
Characteristics of the study group.
| Variables | GERD+n = 129 | GERD− n = 374 | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD) | 44.9 (15.9) | 42.3 (17.2) | 0.13 |
| Males, n (%) | 48 (37.2) | 147 (39.3) | 0.72 |
| African American, n (%) | 106 (82.2) | 324 (86.6) | 0.54 |
| High school graduate, n (%) | 95 (73.6) | 304 (81.3) | 0.06 |
| Health insurance, n (%) | 97 (75.2) | 282 (75.4) | 0.96 |
| Anthropometrics | |||
| BMI, mean (SD) | 31.4 (11.3) | 29.0 (8.1) | 0.01 |
| BMI gained since age 18, mean (SD) | 7.6 (8.0) | 6.3 (6.5) | 0.08 |
| Male: waist: hip ratio, mean (SD) | 0.96 (0.13) | 0.95 (0.12) | 0.69 |
| Female: waist: hip ratio, mean (SD | 0.92 (0.15) | 0.89 (0.13) | 0.15 |
| Waist circumference (in.), mean (SD) | 39.4 (7.2) | 37.0 (6.2) | <0.001 |
| Medical problems | |||
| Cardiovascular disease, n (%) | 51 (39.5) | 133 (35.6) | 0.42 |
| Chronic pulmonary disease, n (%) | 14 (10.9) | 38 (10.2) | 0.82 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 17 (13.2) | 36 (9.6) | 0.26 |
| Medications | |||
| Current calcium channel blocker, n (%) | 13 (10.1) | 18 (4.8) | 0.03 |
| Current on NSAID/ASA, n (%) | 27 (20.9) | 60 (16.0) | 0.21 |
| Lifestyle behaviors | |||
| Current smoker, n (%) | 63 (51.2) | 140 (37.9) | 0.03 |
| ≥4 alcoholic beverages per week, n (%) | 26 (20.2) | 67 (17.9) | 0.57 |
| Coffee drinks per day, mean (SD) | 0.91 (1.1) | 0.78 (1.1) | 0.22 |
| Fresh fruit servings per day, mean (SD) | 2.2 (1.5) | 2.3 (1.5) | 0.42 |
| Cooked vegetable servings per day, mean (SD) | 2.5 (1.4) | 2.4 (1.4) | 0.55 |
| Daily salad intake, n (%) | 19 (15.0) | 73 (19.9) | 0.21 |
| Soda beverage drinks per day, mean (SD) | 1.8 (1.4) | 1.7 (1.5) | 0.50 |
| “Fast food” meals per week, mean (SD) | 1.5 (1.2) | 1.6 (1.4) | 0.49 |
BMI—body mass index (kg/m2).