Association Between Spicy Meal Habit, Meal Timing, and Gastritis 1 Symptoms Among Generation Z in the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan 2 Area (Jabodetabek)

Abstract

Background: Gastritis is a digestive disorder caused by inflammation of the stomach lining, characterized by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, bloating, and stomach discomfort. This condition is common among people of working age, particularly Generation Z, with a prevalence of 40.8% in Indonesia due to unhealthy eating habits. A hectic lifestyle, the trend of consuming spicy foods, and irregular eating habits are factors that potentially increase the risk of developing gastritis.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the relationship between spicy food consumption and meal timing on gastritis symptoms among Generation Z in the Greater Jakarta area.

Materials and methods: This study used a cross-sectional design involving 100 respondents selected using non-probability sampling via purposive sampling. Data on gastritis symptoms were collected using a gastritis symptom questionnaire; data on spicy food consumption were collected using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ); and data on meal timing were collected using a meal timing questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using the chi-square test and ANOVA.

Results: The results of the analysis showed no significant association between spicy food consumption (p=0.686) and daily meal times (p>0.05) and gastritis symptoms. The analysis results showed that the habit of eating dinner was not associated with gastritis symptoms (p=0.073); however, the timing of dinner was significantly associated with gastritis symptoms (p=0.040). These results indicate that it is not the frequency of dinner that contributes to the onset of gastritis symptoms, but rather the timing of dinner.

Conclusion: Meal regularity, particularly dinner, is significantly associated with gastritis symptoms among Generation Z in the Greater Jakarta area, whereas spicy food consumption, in contrast, is not significantly associated with gastritis symptoms.