Frequency, Intensity, and Partner of Exercise Habit Is Inversely Associated with Functional Dyspepsia in Young Japanese Population

Background Functional dyspepsia (FD) has a high prevalence worldwide and reduces patients’ quality of life. The etiology of FD is likely multifactorial. Although two studies showed an inverse association between exercise habits and FD, evidence regarding the association between exercise habits and FD remains scarce. Aims This study aimed to investigate the association between exercise habits and FD among the young Japanese population, taking the presence or absence of an exercise partner as an additional variable. Methods The study subjects consisted of 8923 Japanese university students. The definition of FD was based on the Rome III criteria. Information on exercise frequency, exercise intensity, and exercise partners was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire. Results The prevalence of FD was 1.9% in this cohort. Low, moderate, and high frequency of exercise was independently inversely associated with FD (adjusted odds ratio [OR] was low: OR 0.69 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47–0.997], moderate: OR 0.53 [95% CI 0.34–0.81] and high: OR 0.53 [95% CI 0.30–0.88], p for trend p = 0.002). Moderate and high intensity of exercise was independently inversely associated with FD (moderate: OR 0.56 [95% CI 0.36–0.84] and high: OR 0.49 [95% CI 0.30–0.76], p for trend p = 0.001). Exercise with groups and with friends was independently inversely associated with FD whereas the association between exercising alone and FD was not significant (groups: OR 0.28 [95% CI 0.14–0.50] and friends: OR 0.44 [95% CI 0.24–0.74]). Conclusion Among the young Japanese population, frequency and intensity of exercise may be independently inversely associated with FD. Additionally, exercise with groups and with friends but not by oneself was inversely associated with exercise and FD, respectively.