Basnayake PI, Kottahachchi D, Chandran DS, Medagoda K, Devanarayana NM. Gastric motility and its association with adiposity and metabolic health in a cohort of Sri Lankan office workers. World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol 2025; 16(4): 112536 [DOI: 10.4291/wjgp.v16.i4.112536]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Niranga Manjuri Devanarayana, Professor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Thalagolla Road, Ragama 11010, Western Province, Sri Lanka. niranga@kln.ac.lk
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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Observational Study
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Dec 22, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 22, 2025
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World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology
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Basnayake PI, Kottahachchi D, Chandran DS, Medagoda K, Devanarayana NM. Gastric motility and its association with adiposity and metabolic health in a cohort of Sri Lankan office workers. World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol 2025; 16(4): 112536 [DOI: 10.4291/wjgp.v16.i4.112536]
Pradeepa Isurumali Basnayake, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Ratnapura 70012, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka
Dulani Kottahachchi, Kushan Medagoda, Niranga Manjuri Devanarayana, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama 11010, Western Province, Sri Lanka
Dinu Santha Chandran, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India
Author contributions: Basnayake PI contributed to the study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and wrote the initial draft; Kottahachchi D, Chandran DS, and Medagoda K helped study design and revised final manuscript; Devanarayana NM conceptualized the study and contributed to the study design, data collection (by conducting motility studies), interpretation of data, and writing and revising the manuscript; All authors approved the final version to be published.
Supported by the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, Research Grant, No. RP/03/04/03/01/2022.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka (Ref. No: P/127/09/2022).
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from each participant.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report having no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement - checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement - checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: The dataset is available from the corresponding author at niranga@kln.ac.lk. Participants provided informed consent for data sharing; however, the presented data are anonymized, and the risk of identification is considered low.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Niranga Manjuri Devanarayana, Professor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Thalagolla Road, Ragama 11010, Western Province, Sri Lanka. niranga@kln.ac.lk
Received: July 30, 2025 Revised: August 13, 2025 Accepted: October 29, 2025 Published online: December 22, 2025 Processing time: 145 Days and 16.3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Gastric motility is an essential gastrointestinal function. It can be influenced by age, gender, body composition, and metabolic status. However, published data on these associations remains limited.
AIM
To assess the relationship between gastric motility and adiposity, and metabolic indicators in a cohort of Sri Lankan office workers.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 130 office workers (58.5% females) aged 20-50 years (mean 36.81, SD 8.85 years) of the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Gastric motility was assessed by real-time ultrasonography, using a previously validated method. Fasting antral area (FAA), postprandial antral areas at 1 minutes and 15 minutes (AA1, AA15), and antral contraction frequency (FAC) were measured, and gastric emptying rate (GER) and antral motility index were calculated. Anthropometric parameters were obtained using sensitive scales. Glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, and liver enzyme levels were measured at an accredited laboratory.
RESULTS
The mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.36 (SD 4.09) kg/m2, and 39.2% were overweight or obese. Increased abdominal adiposity was detected in 29.2% and 40.8% had high waist-to-hip ratios. Prediabetes/diabetes were observed in 20.0%, hypercholesterolemia in 47.7%, hypertriglyceridemia in 14.7%, high low-density lipoproteins in 39.2%, and elevated aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase in 5.4% and 21.5% respectively. FAA had a weak negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein level (r = -0.227, P = 0.009), and a positive correlation with waist circumference (r = 0.235, P = 0.007), and waist-to-hip ratio (r = 0.244, P = 0.005). GER and AA1 correlated weakly with triglyceride (GER: r = 0.174, P = 0.048; AA1: r = 0.194, P = 0.027) and VLDL levels (GER: r = 0.183, P = 0.038; AA1: r = 0.195, P = 0.026). In females, AA1 positively correlated with triglycerides (r = 0.333, P = 0.003), and VLDL levels (r = 0.337, P = 0.003), and AA15 with BMI (r = 0.284, P = 0.013) and hip circumference (r = 0.229, P = 0.047). FAC negatively correlated with BMI (r = -0.234, P = 0.042) and hip circumference (r = -0.247, P = 0.032).
CONCLUSION
Gastric motility parameters showed weak associations with metabolic indicators, particularly lipid profiles, and to a lesser extent, with adiposity indicators. The greater number of correlations observed in females suggests the possibility of sex-specific differences in these associations. These findings highlight potential relationships that require confirmation through longitudinal studies.
Core Tip: This study investigated gastric motility in a cohort of Sri Lankan office workers, focusing on its associations with body mass index, adiposity, and metabolic indicators. Males showed significantly larger fasting antral areas, while in females, gastric motility was more closely linked to measures of adiposity and lipid profiles. These findings underscore the influence of metabolic status, particularly lipid metabolism, on gastric motor function, with notable sex-specific patterns. The results provide new insights into the potential impact of metabolic derangements on gastrointestinal physiology and support early identification of individuals at risk for motility disorders.
Citation: Basnayake PI, Kottahachchi D, Chandran DS, Medagoda K, Devanarayana NM. Gastric motility and its association with adiposity and metabolic health in a cohort of Sri Lankan office workers. World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol 2025; 16(4): 112536
Gastric motility plays a key role in the gastrointestinal functions of digestion and absorption. Well-coordinated proximal stomach accommodation and rhythmic antral peristalsis facilitate storage of food, mechanical and chemical digestion, and controlled emptying. The amplitude and velocity of antral peristalsis, which progressively increase towards the pylorus, are the main determinants of effective titration of food and gastric emptying[1,2]. Their dysfunction has been postulated as a main underlying pathophysiology for disorders of gut-brain interaction (e.g., functional dyspepsia), gastroparesis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease[3,4].
With societal development, an increasing proportion of the workforce is engaged in office-based occupations, contributing to sedentary lifestyles characterized by reduced physical activity, lower energy expenditure, and increased body mass index (BMI), adiposity, and metabolic disturbances. Despite these trends, few studies have examined the relationship between gastric motility and body composition, as well as glycemic and lipid profiles. Existing evidence suggests that obesity is associated with altered gastric motor functions. For instance, obese individuals have been shown to possess increased gastric capacity and larger antral areas, along with both delayed and accelerated gastric emptying, depending on the study population and methodology[5-7]. Solid gastric emptying has been reported to be faster in obese adults compared to non-obese controls, with men exhibiting more rapid gastric emptying than women, regardless of body weight[5]. These changes in gastric motility contribute to greater gastric accommodation, which may promote excessive food intake and further weight gain, ultimately increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular diseases[8,9]. Additionally, impaired gastric motility may affect small intestinal function and nutrient absorption, compounding metabolic dysregulation[10]. Gastrointestinal peptides such as ghrelin, which stimulate both hunger and gastric motility, are often reduced in obese individuals[11,12], further impacting gastric motor function. Gastric motility is also influenced by physiological ageing, although the clinical significance of age-related changes remains unclear. Nevertheless, ageing and associated metabolic disorders, such as chronic diabetes, are known contributors to gastric motor disorders like gastroparesis[13,14].
According to the STEPS Survey 2021, the prevalence of overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) in Sri Lanka was 39.4%, and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) was 11.0%, among the 18-69 years age group[15]. The combination of excessive food intake and a predominantly sedentary lifestyle among office workers makes them an ideal population for investigating the relationship between adiposity, metabolic disturbances, and altered gastric motility. The main objective of the current study was to assess these relationships in a cohort of Sri Lankan office workers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study design
This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted from November 2024 to May 2025.
Study setting
Gastroenterology Research Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
Participant recruitment
Inclusion criteria: Staff members of the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, aged between 20 and 50 years, not engaging in any routine or structured physical activity, and who voluntarily provided written informed consent, were included.
Exclusion criteria: A history of gastrointestinal, liver, or pancreatic diseases; previous gastrointestinal surgery other than appendicectomy; subjects on medications affecting gastric motility; and unconsented individuals were excluded.
Data collection
Anthropometric measurements: The same trained investigator measured all the anthropometric parameters. Participants’ body weight and height were measured while they were barefoot and wearing light clothing. A highly sensitive digital flat scale (seca 813) was used to record body weight to the nearest 0.01 kg, and height was measured to the nearest 1 mm using a standard stadiometer (seca 213) according to recommended guidelines[16]. BMI was calculated using the formula, weight (kg)/height2 (m2). Participants were categorized into six weight groups based on the BMI classifications provided by the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka[17] (Supplementary Table 1).
The waist and hip circumferences were measured to the nearest 1 mm using a non-stretchable measuring tape. The waist measurement was taken at the end of a normal expiration with the arms relaxed at the sides and at the midpoint between the lower margin of the last palpable rib and the top of the iliac crest. The maximum circumference over the buttocks with the arms relaxed at the side was taken as the waist circumference[16]. Abdominal obesity, according to the waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio, was calculated in males and females based on the Sri Lankan guidelines[17] (Supplementary Table 2).
Skinfold thickness was measured (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, abdominal, front thigh, and medial calf sites) on the right-hand side of the body to the nearest 1 mm using a standard skinfold caliper. Body fat percentage was predicted using Jackson and Pollock's 4-site (abdominal, triceps, thigh, and suprailiac) skinfold equations[18].
For males: Body fat% = (0.29288 × sum of skinfolds) – (0.0005 × square of the sum of skinfolds) + (0.15845 × age) – 5.76377.
For females: Body fat% = (0.29669 × sum of skinfolds) – (0.00043 × square of the sum of skinfolds) + (0.02963 × age) + 1.4072.
Metabolic functions: Venous blood samples (5 mL) were collected from the participants under aseptic conditions after 12 hours of fasting. All measurements were done from an accredited laboratory. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured using the Bio-Rad D-10 Hemoglobin Testing System, and lipid profile [total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol to HDL ratio, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), non-HDL cholesterol] and lever enzyme [Aspartate transaminase (SGOT) and Alanine transaminase (SGPT)] levels were measured using the Cobas C311 Analyzer. The cutoff values for diabetes and dyslipidemia were based on the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka National Guidelines[19,20] (Supplementary Table 3).
Gastric motility parameters: Medications affecting gastric motility (e.g., prokinetics, erythromycin, adrenergic and cholinergic drugs) were stopped 48 hours before the test. All gastric motility parameters were evaluated in the morning (8.00 am to 9.00 am), on the same day as anthropometric and metabolic testing, using a previously validated method[21].
The tests were performed using a high-resolution real-time scanner (Siemens ACUSON X300™) with a 1.8 MHz to 6.4 MHz curved linear transducer with facilities to record and playback. The scan was performed in the sagittal scanning plane (Figure 1). The subjects were examined sitting at 450 to the horizontal, in the fasting stage and immediately after consuming a 200 mL standard liquid test meal, heated to approximately 40 °C, within 2 minutes (chicken broth, 54.8 KJ, 0.38 g proteins, 0.25 g fat, 2.3 g sugar per serving, Ajinomoto Co, Tokyo, Japan).
Figure 1 Ultrasound view demonstrating the anatomical plane for antral cross-sectional area measurement.
A: Antrum; Ao: Aorta; L: Left lobe of the liver; SMA: Superior mesenteric artery.
The main gastric motility parameters assessed were fasting antral area (FAA), after-meal antral area at 1 minute (AA1) and 15 minutes (AA15), antral area at contraction and relaxation, and frequency of antral contractions (FAC). Based on these values, gastric emptying rate (GER), amplitude of antral contractions (AAC), and antral motility index (AMI) were calculated using the equations below.
GER (%) = [Antral area at 1 minute (cm2) – Antral area at 15 minutes (cm2)]/[Antral area at 1 minute (cm2)] × 100.
AAC (%) = [Antral area at relaxation (cm2) – Antral area at contraction (cm2)]/[Antral area at relaxation (cm2)] × 100.
AMI = [AAC (%) × Frequency of antral contractions for 3 minutes]/100.
Sample size calculation
Sample size was estimated according to the method described by Cohen[22]. At an 80% (β = 0.2) of statistical power and a significant level of 5% (α = 0.05), to detect a medium-sized effect (r = 0.3) between gastric motility parameters and adiposity/metabolic indicators, the minimum sample required for this observational study was 85.5. However, to improve the statistical precision and facilitate subgroup analysis, 130 participants were included in the analysis.
Statistical analysis
Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (version 21). Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarize participants' characteristics. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD, while categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages. Bivariate analyses were conducted using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to evaluate associations, while means were compared using the independent samples t-test. Comparisons across different groups were conducted using one-way ANOVA. A two-sided P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Ethics approval
Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka (Ref. No: P/127/09/2022).
RESULTS
The study included 130 office workers aged 20 and 50 years (mean 36.81, SD 8.85 years). The sample comprised 76 females (58.5%) and 54 males. The mean age of male participants was 39.37 (SD 7.48) years, while that of females was 35.00 (SD 9.35) years.
Anthropometric and metabolic parameters of study participants
The mean BMI of the sample was 24.36 (SD 4.09) kg/m2. The percentage distribution of participants according to categories of age, adiposity, and metabolic markers is summarized in Table 1. Descriptive statistics of body composition and metabolic indicators are presented according to the total sample and by gender in Table 2. The mean waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, triglycerides, VLDL, cholesterol-to-HDL ratio, SGOT, and SGPT levels were significantly higher in males compared to females. The mean body fat percentage was significantly higher in females.
Table 1 Categorization of participants according to age, adiposity, and metabolic markers, n (%).
Table 3 describes the gastric motility parameters in the total sample and by gender. The results showed that the mean FAA was significantly higher in males compared to females (P = 0.025). Other gastric motility parameters were not different between males and females.
Table 3 Gastric motility parameters in the total sample and according to gender.
One-way ANOVA revealed that FAA differed significantly between groups, F (2,127) = 3.861, P = 0.024 (Table 4). Post-hoc Tukey analysis showed that participants in the age group 41-50 years had a significantly larger FAA compared with those in the age group 20-30 years (mean difference = 1.51 cm2, P = 0.017). Other motility parameters, including GER, FAC, AAC, AA1, and AA15, did not show significant differences across age categories (P > 0.05).
Table 4 Comparison of gastric motility parameters across three age groups.
Correlation between gastric motility parameters, adiposity, and metabolic indicators
FAA showed a weak but statistically significant positive correlation with waist circumference (r = 0.235, P = 0.007, Spearman correlation coefficient) and waist-to-hip ratio (r = 0.244, P = 0.005), and a negative correlation with age (r = -0.280, P = 0.001) and HDL levels (r = -0.227, P = 0.009). GER and AA1 showed a weak, but statistically significant correlation with triglyceride (GER: r = 0.174, P = 0.048; AA1: r = 0.194, P = 0.027) and VLDL levels (GER: r = 0.183, P = 0.038; AA1: r = 0.195, P = 0.026) (Supplementary Table 4). No statistically significant correlations were observed for AA15, FAC, AAC, or AMI with age, adiposity, or metabolic indicators.
When the subgroup analysis was performed according to gender, in female participants, FAA (r = 0.399, P < 0.001), AA1 (r = 0.269, P = 0.019), and AA15 (r = 0.258, P = 0.024) showed a weak but significant positive correlation with age. AA15 demonstrated weak positive correlations with BMI (r = 0.284, P = 0.013) and hip circumference (r = 0.229, P = 0.047). FAC showed a weak negative correlation with BMI (r = -0.234, P = 0.042), and hip circumference (r = -0.247, P = 0.032). AA1 showed weak positive correlations with triglyceride (r = 0.333, P = 0.003) and VLDL (r = 0.337, P = 0.003) levels. In females, no statistically significant correlations were observed between GER, AAC, and AMI with age, body composition, or lipid profile (Supplementary Table 5).
None of the motility parameters had a statistically significant correlation with adiposity indicators or lipid profile in male participants.
Comparison of gastric motility parameters across BMI, adiposity, and metabolic subcategories
No significant differences were observed between mean gastric motility parameters by low (< 25 kg/m2) and high (≥ 25 kg/m2) BMI, nor other adiposity, metabolic, and liver enzyme subcategories (P > 0.05).
DISCUSSION
This study investigated the relationship between gastric motility parameters and indicators of adiposity, glycemic status, lipid profile, and liver functions in a cohort of office workers in Sri Lanka. This is the first study to assess such relationships in office workers. In this study, we did not observe a significant difference in gastric motility parameters between high and low BMI, adiposity, or metabolic subcategories. However, when gastric motility parameters were correlated with adiposity and metabolic indicators, FAA, which is a measure of fasting antral dilatation, had weak but significant positive correlations with waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio and a negative correlation with HDL level. Similarly, GER and AA1 (indicating postprandial antral dilation) had weak positive correlations with triglycerides and VLDL levels. Other gastric motility parameters showed no such relationship. However, during subgroup analysis, in females, many motility parameters showed significant correlations with BMI, adiposity, and metabolic indicators.
We assessed gastric motility parameters of Sri Lankan office workers according to age and gender for the first time. It has been reported that females have slower gastric emptying for both solid and liquid meals[23,24]. The mechanism suggested for this was the effect of female sex hormones, particularly estradiol and progesterone, on the gastrointestinal system[23,25]. However, some other studies assessing gastric emptying following both solid and liquid meals have shown identical gastric emptying for males and females[26]. Similarly, we did not find a significant difference in gastric emptying between males and females. However, in the current study, FAA, which is an indirect indicator of fasting gastric distension, was larger in males compared to females. The inversion of the results in our study may be due to the increased abdominal adiposity in the male subgroup, which affects autonomic modulation and gastric tone[27,28]. In addition, the male subgroup in our study demonstrated higher mean HbA1c levels and triglyceride levels compared to the female subgroup, suggesting a higher metabolic dysfunction, which was known to delay the gastric emptying[27].
Even with limited clinical significance, age-associated changes in gastric motility were observed in previous studies[29-31]. Age-related progressive autonomic dysfunction was believed to be the major cause of delayed gastric emptying[32]. It was reported that the larger antral area at rest, impaired antral compliance, and enhanced postprandial emptying are associated with aging[33]. Furthermore, age is a recognized risk factor for chronic metabolic diseases such as hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia, which alter gastric motility[13]. Similarly, we observed a significant increase in FAA with advancing age, but no such difference in other motility parameters. However, the age-related alterations of gastric motility have not been widely described previously, and longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the impact of age on gastrointestinal motility and underlying mechanisms.
When gastric motility parameters were correlated with adiposity indicators, we found a positive correlation between FAA and waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. Our findings are compatible with a previous study conducted among moderately obese vs non-obese subjects using non-invasive single-photon emission computed tomography[34], which revealed that the fasting volume of the distal stomach was greater in obese individuals. This suggests that increased adiposity is associated with fasting antral dilatation. The exact underlying mechanism for this relationship is not clear, but previous studies have suggested that increased abdominal fat mechanically delays gastric motility or affects the autonomic regulation of the gastric motility[35-37].
In our study, we did not observe significant differences in gastric motility parameters among individuals with elevated BMI and dyslipidemia. There are no previous adult studies assessing this association. However, a previous study in Sri Lanka assessing the association between BMI and gastric motility in children with disorders of the gut-brain axis and controls reported a significantly larger FAA and AA1 in healthy controls[38].
GER and AA1 were weakly but positively correlated with triglycerides and VLDL levels. We did not find a significant correlation between other gastric motility parameters and BMI, adiposity, and metabolic indicators when the whole sample was analyzed. However, during subgroup analysis, in females, the postprandial motility parameter, AA15, showed a weak positive correlation with BMI and hip circumference, whereas the FAC showed a negative correlation with the same anthropometry measurements. These results are consistent with previous studies that have reported the impact of obesity on gastric motility[5,6,39-42]. Our findings suggest a potential association between higher postprandial gastric retention and reduced gastric contractility in females with greater adiposity. However, these associations were observed without adjusting for potential confounding factors, such as age. Additionally, the lack of significant correlations in males does not preclude the presence of similar associations in other populations.
According to Kong and Horowitz[14], delayed gastric emptying was observed more than rapid emptying among randomly selected patients with long-standing type 1 or type 2 diabetes after solid or liquid nutrient meals. Another study conducted among type 2 diabetes patients using an ultrasound technique has demonstrated delayed gastric emptying and reduced antral contractions compared to controls[43]. This finding aligns with previous evidence indicating that delayed gastric emptying is a common complication of diabetic neuropathy[44,45]. However, in contrast to previous research, we did not observe a significant association between gastric motility parameters and HbA1c levels. This may be due to the small number of participants with elevated HbA1c and the predominance of participants with normal HbA1c levels. However, another longitudinal study conducted over 12 years among patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes also reported no change in gastric emptying for both solid and liquid components[46].
This study has several strengths. This is the first study to evaluate the association between gastric motility and BMI, adiposity, and metabolic functions in office workers. Although many previous studies have investigated the above parameters independently, a comprehensive analysis of the association between adiposity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and altered gastric motility is rare. Furthermore, most studies have concentrated on specific disease groups such as diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. Office workers are engaged in desk work and spend most of their working hours seated, and often live a sedentary lifestyle. Associated lack of physical activity can lead to overweight and obesity and metabolic derailment. Furthermore, gastrointestinal dysmotility results in troublesome disorders such as constipation, gastroparesis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Identifying the relationship between gastric motility, BMI, adiposity, and metabolic functions would help in risk assessment. Among the methods used to investigate gastric motility, this study applied liquid gastric motility by ultrasonography as it is an accessible, safe, non-invasive, and cost-effective technique that can be used in both clinical and research settings.
The limitations of the study include that the study sample was confined to office workers from one higher educational institution in Sri Lanka, which may not represent the entire workforce, especially manual workers and those engaged in jobs with high physical activity levels. Furthermore, comparisons between occupational activity levels were not feasible in our study design, as the study sample was limited to sedentary office workers, and no active control group was included for comparison. Also, there are no local reference values for gastric motility parameters in Sri Lankan adults. Therefore, we were not able to classify participants into normal or impaired gastric motility subgroups. Instead, we categorized the participants into high and low BMI and other adiposity or metabolic subgroups and compared the mean values of gastric motility parameters between these subgroups. We also performed gender-specific correlations to identify relationships between gastric motility parameters and BMI, adiposity, and metabolic indicators. During the subgroup analysis, a small number of participants in some subgroups may have limited the power to detect true associations. In addition, we assessed gastric emptying using an ultrasound method, but not by scintigraphy, which is the gold standard. However, ultrasound techniques have been compared with simultaneously performed scintigraphy and proven to be accurate[47-49]. Furthermore, potential confounding factors, such as diet and use of medications, were not fully controlled in this study. Also, all participants were recruited from a sedentary work-related setting, and objective measurements of their physical activity levels were not obtained.
CONCLUSION
In our cohort of Sri Lankan office workers, abdominal adiposity and adverse lipid profile outcomes showed weak but statistically significant correlations with certain gastric motility parameters, particularly fasting and postprandial antral dilatation, which were most notable among females. Findings of the current study provide novel insights into the possible link between metabolic and gastrointestinal health in a sedentary adult working population, highlighting the need for longitudinal studies to explore this relationship further to identify underlying mechanisms and to initiate preventive measures.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge Mrs. Ariyawansa J and Mr. Rathnayake P (Technical Officers), Mr. Chandana U, and Mr. Samarathunga B (Laboratory Attendants), and Mr. Perera S (Office Work Aid) at the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, for assistance in gastric motility test and data collection and Ms. Madhushani P, Technical Officer at the Department of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka for development of the data base.
Footnotes
Provenance and peer review: Invited article; Externally peer reviewed.
Peer-review model: Single blind
Corresponding Author's Membership in Professional Societies: The Physiological Society of Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka Medical Association; International Union of Physiological Sciences; South Asian Association of Physiologists; The Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Society of Sri Lanka.
Specialty type: Gastroenterology and hepatology
Country of origin: Sri Lanka
Peer-review report’s classification
Scientific Quality: Grade B
Novelty: Grade C
Creativity or Innovation: Grade C
Scientific Significance: Grade C
P-Reviewer: Gunes Y, Full Professor, Türkiye S-Editor: Liu JH L-Editor: A P-Editor: Lei YY
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