Association between coffee consumption and psychological stress with gastroesophageal reflux disease among Indonesian medical students

Objective Medical students are experiencing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to academic demands, dietary factors, such as coffee consumption and psychological stress. This study explored the relationship between coffee consumption, psychological stress, and GERD among medical students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 students at the Faculty of Medicine, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta. Results Results showed that 53% of students consumed coffee, 28% had depression, 42% had anxiety, and 30% experienced psychological stress. GERD was found in 27% of students and was significantly related to drinking more than 3 cups of coffee daily (p=0.015), long-term consumption more than 4 years (p=0.001), instant coffee (p=0.001), depression (p=0.033), anxiety (p=0.010), and psychological stress (p=0.001). However, only psychological stress remained significant in multivariate analysis (p=0.002). The study concludes that psychological stress is the strongest factor linked to GERD, more than anxiety, depression, or coffee habits. Reducing stress and limiting coffee may help lower GERD risk among students.