Prevalence and Predictors of Irritable Bowel Syndrome among Medical Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/jmj.v56i1.231Keywords:
Irritable bowel syndrome, medical students, Family history, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders, and
medical students are at a higher risk for this disorder, given their stressful lives. This study aims to
identify the prevalence of IBS and the associated risk factors among MS. A cross-sectional study was
conducted among medical students at all academic levels. Data were collected from January to
September 2018 using a validated, self-administered, and anonymous questionnaire. Five hundred
eighty-five students were included, and an IBS diagnosis was made in 37 students. Older students and
those in higher clinical years are at greater risk for developing IBS (P <.02 and.001, respectively). The
factors associated with IBS (adjusting for known confounders) included a family history of IBS
[adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 7.06 (95% CI: 2.923 - 17.069)], rare use of over-the-counter pain
medications, [AOR: 2.806; 95% CI: 0.004-0.431; P <.003] and students experiencing high levels of
anxiety [AOR : 3.33 (95% CI: 1.392 -7.981); P<.002]. In this study, the risk of IBS among medical
students was 6.6%.
