Prevalence and factors associated with irritable bowel syndrome among medical students of Karachi, Pakistan: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its association with stress, has not been studied among university students in Pakistan. We investigated the prevalence and the pattern of anxiety related IBS symptoms among medical students of Karachi. Findings: An observational casecontrol study was carried out at three medical colleges of Karachi, Pakistan. Random sampling was done on 360 medical students. Data was collected using validated tools Rome III Criteria and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire. Participants with IBS were diagnosed on the criteria having experienced abdominal discomfort at least 23 days/month associated with high level of anxiety. The apparent prevalence of IBS was found to be 28.3%, with a predominance of 87 (85.29%) females (85.29%) over males (14.71%). The psychological symptoms of anxiety were encountered in 57 (55.8%) participants with IBS, among which males were 15.7% and females 84.2% respectively. Conclusion: Students who more frequently suffer with mental stress and anxiety are more associated with IBS. © 2012 Naeem et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.