Review for 10.1186/s12876-017-0699-1 (2017)

Reviewer’ s report
Title: Dietary habits and obesity indices in patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease: a
comparative cross-sectional study
Version: 0Date: 11 Jul 2017
Reviewer: Giovanni Zaninotto
Reviewer's report:
Please include all comments for the authors in this box rather than uploading your report as an
attachment. Please only upload as attachments annotated versions of manuscripts, graphs,supporting materials or other aspects of your report which cannot be included in a textformat.Please overwrite this text when adding your comments to the authors.In this cross sectionalstudy the Authors evaluated two cohorts of patients with and without GERD symptoms. Someanthropometric measures as BMI and WC were taken; lifestyle and dietary habits wereinvestigated through a questionnaire. Patients with GERD symptoms were most frequentlymarried, with lower level of education, with higher BMI and WC and had a higher consumption ofcitrus juice. No other variable discriminated the two groups of patients. The Ms. is difficult to readbecause of a poor English language and needs a careful revision by an English-mother-tongueprofessional medical writer. Just two examples, the sentences on page 4 , line 14-15 and lines 37-41.It is not clear how the patients were diagnosed to have GERD: was a structured questionnaireused? Or was just an interview on symptoms?The main drawback of the study is the lack ofstratification of the variables, that are dycothomized in : Yes / No. Is not clear what does it mean"smoking or drug abuse" Which drug?It is also strange that 88% of subjects interviewed did notsmoke at all. It is not clear if they never smoked, or quit smoking few days before the interview. In
all previous studies on GERD epidemiology, smoking was one of the main factors related to
GERD.In the part of the study related to food consumption and dietary habits it is not clear whatdoes it mean "Spicy food" (in a country where the use of spicy food at least according to a Westerncriteria is rather normal) or "bulky meals" means.No specific questions are made on consumptionof fat foods or in quantifying the consumption of chocolate.
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
NoDoes the work include the necessary controls?
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.
YesAre the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.
No
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an
additional statistical review?If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require furtherassessment in your comments to the editors.
Not relevant to this manuscript
Quality of written English
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:
Not suitable for publication unless extensively editedDeclaration of competing interests
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