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Almuzaini AS, Almuzaini R, Alsaleem HN, Alsuhaibani A, Alsohaibani A, Alwehaibi R, Alharbi L, Alotaiby GF, ALAmmari AM. Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Among General Population: A Cross-Sectional Study in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. Cureus 2024; 16:e57493. [PMID: 38707106 PMCID: PMC11068117 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects 10-20% of the global population, primarily manifesting as functional issues leading to abdominal discomfort. Key contributors like genetics, psychological factors, weakened immunity, and environmental pollutants play significant roles. Regional variations exist, with prevalence rates ranging from 7-10% in certain areas like South Asia and the Middle East to as high as 20% in many Western countries. Objective The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its related risk factors among the general populace of the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, aiming to offer valuable insights for healthcare planning and intervention strategies. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, utilizing a validated self-administered questionnaire among residents of the Qassim region aged over 18 years. The questionnaire included demographic information about the participants and the validated Rome IV questionnaire for IBS in adults. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Qassim Research Ethics Committee, and data analysis was conducted using R script language version 4.3.3. A significance level of p < 0.05 was employed to interpret the results. Results Overall, significant associations were observed between IBS diagnosis and food allergy (AOR = 2.34, 99% CI: 1.27-4.29), family history of IBS (Adjusted Odd Ratio (AOR) = 7.03, 99% CI: 3.51-15.74), and abdominal pain lasting more than six months (AOR = 2.54, 99% CI: 1.49-4.33). Conclusion This study highlights a high IBS prevalence (21.4%) in Saudi Arabia's Qassim region. While no overall soda-IBS link was found, males showed a protective effect. Significant associations were noted between food allergy, family history, and abdominal pain with IBS diagnosis, especially among females. Further research on gender disparities and familial and abdominal pain roles in IBS management is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Abdulsalam Alsuhaibani
- College of Medicine, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, SAU
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Frere NO, Soliman AZM, Salama HM, Wahba MO, Fouad WS. Assessment of psychological alarms and coping strategies of medical students with irritable bowel syndrome at Zagazig University: A cross-sectional study. J Family Community Med 2024; 31:107-115. [PMID: 38800792 PMCID: PMC11114878 DOI: 10.4103/jfcm.jfcm_231_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorders. Medical students tend to report a higher prevalence of IBS since they are under constant stress. Many psychological difficulties are associated with IBS. To cope with IBS, individuals use various strategies which can impact the intensification or alleviation of IBS symptoms. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of IBS in medical students as well as psychological alarms and coping strategie employed by IBS sufferers. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study from December 2022 to February 2023. Study participants were first to fifth year medical school students at Zagazig University, Egypt. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising four sections: sociodemographic and clinical data; Rome IV criteria for the diagnosis of IBS; the alarm questionnaire for functional gastrointestinal disorders; and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ24). Chi-square test or Fischer's exact test, as appropriate, were used to test for association. Binary logistic regression with a backward stepwise method was used to determine significant risk factors of negative coping with IBS. RESULTS Of the studied 221 medical students, 38% had IBS. A statistically significant association was observed between IBS and the feeling of tension, anxiety, nervousness, depression, and frustration in the previous week, severe pain in the past 4 weeks, and the feeling that the bad situation would not get any better. Most of the students in the IBS group coped positively with stress, while 19.0% were negative in coping. Pain affecting the daily activities and the feelings of depression and frustration to the point of self-harm or suicide were the most significant correlates of IBS group's inability to cope. CONCLUSION The prevalence of IBS in medical students at Zagazig University was 38%. We recommend psychological intervention and stress management programs to help medical students cope with IBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha O. Frere
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Al Zahraa M. Soliman
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Hussein M. Salama
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Mohamed O. Wahba
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Walaa S. Fouad
- Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
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Zhao J, Li X, Yang J, Hao X, Tian J, Wang X, Wang X, Li N, Li Z. Prevalence of and factors associated with symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome among resident physicians in standardised training in China: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e079874. [PMID: 38110383 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate the incidence of and factors associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) among resident physicians in standardised training at eight traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospitals in China. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey was administered to resident physicians in their first to third years of standardised training at eight TCM hospitals. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING A total of 514 resident physicians in standardised training were included. MEASURES The questionnaire consisted of two sections, namely: section A collected basic information, and section B included the four-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Rome IV criteria for IBS. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to assess the associations of age, sex, body mass index, stress, depression, anxiety, sleep quality and IBS. RESULTS Of the included resident doctors, 77.2% were female, 20.4% were obese or underweight and 8.6% had symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of IBS. There were no statistically significant differences in lifestyle factors (night shift work, overtime work or working efficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic) between patients with IBS and participants without IBS (hereafter, non-IBS participants) (p=0.429, p=0.572 or p=0.464, respectively). Notably, compared with non-IBS participants, patients with IBS had significantly higher mean scores on the PSS-4 and PHQ-4 (p=0.028 and p=0.012, respectively); however, there was not a significant difference in PSQI scores between these two groups (p=0.079). Depression symptoms were significantly associated with IBS (unadjusted OR 0.498, 95% CI 0.265 to 0.935, p=0.030). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that IBS is common among resident physicians in standardised training. Future studies should investigate emotional distress, especially stress and depression, in the development of prevention or treatment of IBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhao
- Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Li
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayi Yang
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Hao
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Junjian Tian
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- The Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Beijing Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Neuromodulation, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xuefei Wang
- The Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Beijing Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Neuromodulation, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Li
- Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhigang Li
- School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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Sharbafchi MR, Afshar Zanjani H, Saneian Z, Feizi A, Daghaghzadeh H, Adibi P. Effects of Duloxetine on Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Quality of Life in Patients with the Moderate-to-Severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Adv Biomed Res 2023; 12:249. [PMID: 38192887 PMCID: PMC10772789 DOI: 10.4103/abr.abr_379_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disease. There are very few studies on the Duloxetine efficacy in improving the gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms, in IBS. The current study attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of Duloxetine in symptoms and quality of life in moderate-to-severe IBS patients. Materials and Methods This is a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial in which the population is composed of 37 patients with moderate-to-severe IBS in Isfahan from March 2018 to March 2019. For the intervention group, Duloxetine was administered for three months, and the treatment protocol was the same for the control group but using a placebo. The severity of IBS symptoms, quality of life, and negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed. Results Our data showed no significant difference between the two groups of the study for the severity of IBS symptoms (P value = 0.150); however, in the intervention group, it was significantly lower than controls after six, eight, and ten weeks of the intervention (P value = 0.023). Overall evaluation of the quality of life in patients indicated significantly higher quality of life in the Duloxetine group than the control group from the eighth week to the twelfth week after the intervention (P value <0.038). Anxiety and stress in the Duloxetine group were significantly lower than controls after the intervention (P value <0.05). Conclusion Duloxetine is probably helpful for reducing anxiety, stress, and the severity of symptoms in IBS patients. It also could increase the quality of life in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Sharbafchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hamid Afshar Zanjani
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zahra Saneian
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Awat Feizi
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hamed Daghaghzadeh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Integrative Functional Gastroenterology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Peyman Adibi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Integrative Functional Gastroenterology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Paramythiotis D, Karlafti E, Didagelos M, Fafouti M, Veroplidou K, Protopapas AA, Kaiafa G, Netta S, Michalopoulos A, Savopoulos C. Post-COVID-19 and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Literature Review. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:1961. [PMID: 38004010 PMCID: PMC10673195 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59111961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), a complex and multifactorial condition that follows the acute COVID-19 infection, has raised serious concerns within the global medical community. Concurrently, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a widespread chronic gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction, is considered to be one of the most common disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) that significantly affects the quality of life and social functioning of patients. PCS presents a wide range of symptoms and GI manifestations, including IBS. This review aims to analyze the GI involvement and the prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 infection as part of PCS, in order to explore the potential development of post-infection IBS (PI-IBS) in COVID-19 patients. Irritating factors such as enteric infection, psychosocial conditions, food antigens, and antibiotics may lead to abnormalities in the physiological function of the GI system and could be involved in the development of PI-IBS. Through the presentation of the pathophysiological mechanisms and epidemiological studies that assessed the prevalence of IBS as part of PCS, we attempted to provide a better understanding of the long-term consequences of COVID-19 and the pathogenesis of PI-IBS. Even though PI-IBS is becoming a global challenge, there are only a few studies about it and therefore limited knowledge. Currently, the majority of the existing treatment options are referred to non-COVID-19-associated DGBIs. Forthcoming studies may shed light on the mechanisms of PI-IBS that could be targeted for treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Paramythiotis
- First Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (K.V.); (S.N.); (A.M.)
| | - Eleni Karlafti
- Emergency Department, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.A.P.); (G.K.); (C.S.)
| | - Matthaios Didagelos
- Intensive Care Unit, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Fafouti
- First Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (K.V.); (S.N.); (A.M.)
| | - Kalliopi Veroplidou
- First Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (K.V.); (S.N.); (A.M.)
| | - Adonis A. Protopapas
- First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.A.P.); (G.K.); (C.S.)
| | - Georgia Kaiafa
- First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.A.P.); (G.K.); (C.S.)
| | - Smaro Netta
- First Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (K.V.); (S.N.); (A.M.)
| | - Antonios Michalopoulos
- First Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (D.P.); (K.V.); (S.N.); (A.M.)
| | - Christos Savopoulos
- First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (A.A.P.); (G.K.); (C.S.)
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