Factors influencing dyspepsia‐related consultation: differences between a rural and an urban population

Abstract

Dyspepsia-related consultation varied significantly between urban and rural communities. Factors within the rural population, self-medication practices, and a low quality of life independently influenced dyspepsia-related consultation.

Mandarin version of the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire: A valid instrument for assessing symptoms in Asians

“…In this study the M‐LDQ was validated in both primary and secondary care patients, as most patients consult at these levels of healthcare services . As the severity of patients' symptoms tends to differ between primary and secondary, or even tertiary care, a dyspepsia questionnaire assessing symptoms should ideally be validated in all settings .…”

“…In this study the M-LDQ was validated in both primary and secondary care patients, as most patients consult at these levels of healthcare services. 19 As the severity of patients' symptoms tends to differ between primary and secondary, or even tertiary care, a dyspepsia questionnaire assessing symptoms should ideally be validated in all settings. 13 A previous study in Hong Kong SAR, China did develop and validate a 'Chineselanguage' dyspepsia questionnaire, 20 but this was conducted in secondary-care patients only and it was not clear which type of Chinese language was used.…”

Letter: East-West differences in the economic impact of functional dyspepsia

“…Although healthcare systems in Asia and the West are known to differ, 6 other factors may be responsible for the variation in the economic impact of FD. Self-medication practices and lower healthcare consultation rates among rural Asians, 7 coupled with more aggressive management by clinicians in the US (40% had CT abdominal scans and 23% had surgery in Lacy et al's study), may lead to greater direct costs for FD in the West. Furthermore, socioeconomic differences between employees (81% in the US study 1 vs. 27.7% in the Malaysian study 4 with >US $ 10 000 annual income) are an obvious factor when considering indirect costs for FD due to work absenteeism.…”

The Influence of Cultural Habits on the Changing Pattern of Functional Dyspepsia

“…The study in Malaysia demonstrated that rural adults were more likely to seek medical consultation regarding their dyspepsia compared to urban adults, 41.4 and 28.7%, respectively [33]. The lower rates of consultation amongst urban adults with FD may in part be due to higher educational standards, with a greater awareness and a better understanding of the condition.…”

“…Based on the Rome II criteria, Mahadeva et al [33] demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of FD among urban Malaysian adults (24.3%) compared to adults in a rural setting (14.5%), together with lower quality of life values among the former. The lower prevalence of FD among the rural population could not be explained by the observed socioeconomic differences between both communities, as low socioeconomic status has previously been suggested to be associated with dyspepsia.…”