Exploring the burden of irritable bowel syndrome among university students in Saudi Arabia: A study on prevalence, psychological associations, and well-being

Abstract

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience not only a detrimental impact on their physical health but also a significant influence on their psychological well-being. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of IBS among university students, investigating the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors influencing its onset. Furthermore, it explored the potential impact of psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, and overall well-being on the prevalence of IBS. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Saudi Arabian universities in November and December 2023. To collect data, an anonymous, validated, predesigned questionnaire was used. The diagnosis of IBS was carried out using the validated Arabic version of the Rome IV questionnaire. We used the Arabic version of the World Health Organization Well-being Index to assess the participants' well-being. We used the Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to identify people who show clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our study included a total of 379 university students, 46.7% were female 86.0% of participants resided in urban areas, and 7.2% had been previously diagnosed with IBS. The prevalence of IBS among participants was found to be 31.9%. We observed a significant association between marital status and IBS (χ2= 3.95, P =.047). Furthermore, the highest prevalence of IBS was observed among students majoring in literary and scientific disciplines (χ2= 0.952, P =.049). Individuals with IBS demonstrate a significantly higher prevalence of anxiety (71.90% vs 41.09%, P