AIM:Population-based assessment of noncardiac chest pain(NCCP) is lacking.The aim of this study was to evaluate theprevalence,psychosocial factors and health seekingbehaviour of NCCP in southern Chinese.METHODS:A total of 2 209 ethnic Hong Kong Chinesehouseholds were recruited to participate in a telephonesurvey to study the epidemiology of NCCP using the Roseangina questionnaire,a validated gastroesophageal refluxdisease (GERD) questionnaire and the hospital anxiety-depression scale.NCCP was defined as non-exertional chestpain according to the Rose angina questionnaire and had notbeen diagnosed as ischaemic heart diseases by a physician.RESULTS:Chest pain over the past year was present in454 subjects (20.6%,95% CI 19-22),while NCCP waspresent in 307 subjects (13.9%,95% CI 13-15).GERD waspresent in 51% of subjects with NCCP and 34% hadconsulted a physician for chest pain.Subjects with NCCPhad a significantly higher anxiety (P<0.001) and depressionscore (P=0.007),and required more days off (P=0.021) thansubjects with no chest pain.By multiple logistic regressionanalysis,female gender (OR 1.9,95% CI 1.1-3.2),presenceof GERD (OR 2.8,95% CI 1.6-4.8),and social life beingaffected by NCCP (OR 6.9,95% CI 3.3-15.9) wereindependent factors associated with health seeking behaviourin southern Chinese with NCCP.CONCLUSION:NCCP is a common problem in southernChinese and associated with anxiety and depression.Femalegender,GERD and social life affected by chest pain wereassociated with health care utilization in subjects with NCCP. AIM: Population-based assessment of noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate theprevalence, psychosocial factors and health seeking behavior of NCCP in southern Chinese. METHODS: A total of 2 209 ethnic Hong Kong Chinesehouseholds were recruited to participate in a telephonesurvey to study the epidemiology of NCCP using the Roseangina questionnaire, a validated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire and the hospital anxiety-depression scale. NCCP was defined as non-exertional chestpain according to the Rose angina questionnaire and had notbeen diagnosed RESULTS: Chest pain over the past year was present in 454 subjects (20.6%, 95% CI 19-22) while NCCP was present in 307 subjects (13.9%, 95% CI 13-15). GERD waspresent in 51% of subjects with NCCP and 34% hadconsulted a physician for chest pain.Subjects with NCCPhad a significantly higher anxiety (P <0.001) and depressionscore (P = 0.007), and required more days off (P ​​= 0.021) thansubjects with no chest pain. By multiple logistic regression analysis, female gender (OR 1.9,95% CI 1.1-3.2), presenceof GERD (OR 2.8,95% CI 1.6-4.8), and social life being affected by NCCP (OR 6.9,95% CI 3.3-15.9) were in dependent factors associated with health seeking behavior in southern China with NCCP.CONCLUSION: NCCP is a common problem in southernChinese and associated with anxiety and depression. Femalegender, GERD and social life affected by chest pain wereassociated with health care utilization in subjects with NCCP.