Identification of life habits factors as risk for gastritis and colitis occurrence in a mestizo population of Chabeklumil, Chiapas, México

Abstract

Aim: Gastric diseases are a recent trend in morbidity in México. We aimed to identify most frequent life habits factors as risk for gastritis and colitis occur-rence, in a Mexican mestizo population in Chabek-lumil, Chiapas. Population: This study was observa-tional, descriptive, transversal and prospective; 346 questionnaires were applied to individuals of both genders from 11 years of age, with low income and socio-economic status, after they signed the informed consent. An individual file was created by the nurses in Chabeklumil. The predominant gender in the population was female (56.1%), with a distribution of 166 among adulthood (19 -59 years of age); among males (43.9%), 133 included adults. Results: We identified the following environmental risk factors to develop gastritis and colitis: long periods of daily fasting > consumption of irritant food and drink > stress, in females; in contrast, males reported alcohol and tobacco consumption > irritant food and drink > long periods of daily fasting > stress. We found statis-tical differences (P < 0.05) in risk factors between females and males, in drugs and alcohol consumption, fasting, and stress, but not in consumption of irritant foods, nor in colitis and gastritis prevalence. Con-clusions: Females are most affected by life habits risk factors for gastritis/colitis, which occurs mainly due to lifestyle and " macho " culture, since women are precluded of a better living standard, they work hard in the field, and start early in the day without con-suming a meal, which they eat late in the day once arriving home. People in Chabeklumil eat/drink a lot of irritant food like hot pepper and coffee, which damage the gastrointestinal system leading to gastri-tis and colitis. Furthermore, men started to consume drugs at early ages, a condition also involved in de-veloping gastritis.