بكالوريوس / Bachelor's

Study Objectives: ​General Objective: To estimate the prevalence of heartburn and related conditions among medical students at Dongola University. ​Specific Objectives: ​Identify lifestyle and dietary risk factors (e.g., late-night eating, caffeine intake, fast food, smoking, physical inactivity). ​Evaluate the impact of heartburn on students' quality of life (stress levels, academic performance, and sleep disturbance). ​Assess the severity and frequency of heartburn symptoms (mild/moderate/severe; daily vs. weekly). ​2. Materials and Methods: ​Study Design: Institutional, descriptive, cross-sectional study. ​Study Population & Eligibility: ​Inclusion: Undergraduate medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, Dongola University across all academic levels who agree to participate. ​Exclusion: Students with known heart disease, previous gastric surgery, other chronic illnesses, or those who refuse to participate. ​Study Period: September 2026 – September 2027. ​Sample Size: 286 students (calculated using Slovin’s formula for a finite population of N = 1000 with a margin of error e = 0.05). ​Data Collection: Self-administered structured questionnaire including sociodemographics, BMI, lifestyle/dietary habits, sleep patterns, stress levels, and heartburn symptoms assessed via a validated tool (e.g., GerdQ). ​Sampling Technique: Simple random sampling using computer-generated random numbers to minimize selection bias.

Questionnaires will not contain participants' names or other direct identifiers; identification numbers will be used instead, and data files will be password-protected and accessible only to the research team. Interviews will be conducted in a private setting.

Significance and Benefits of the Study ​This study holds substantial significance for academic, medical, and public health domains in Sudan. The primary benefits include: ​Filling the Knowledge Gap: There is limited localized epidemiological data regarding Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and heartburn among medical students in Northern Sudan. This research will establish a crucial baseline prevalence rate and identify key risk factors specific to this population