Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome and its relationship with psychological stress status in Chinese university students.
OBJECTIVE
Although irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder in the West, information on the prevalence of IBS in university students is relatively scant, especially in Asia. The aims of the present study were to investigate the prevalence and pattern of symptoms of IBS and its relationship with psychological stress status in Chinese university students.


METHODS
Basic demographic data and IBS symptoms were sought using the Rome II criteria and a validated bowel symptom questionnaire. Another questionnaire used related to psychosomatic symptoms of depression and anxiety.


RESULTS
In total, 491 of the 530 students in the trial met the selected criteria, which included 241 men. The participants were medical college students (313/491) and non-medical college students (178/491). The apparent prevalence of IBS was 15.7%, with a prevalence of 14.5% in men and 16.8% in women. The most common symptom was abdominal pain associated with change in the consistency of stool (36.9%), followed by altered stool frequency (16.3%), and abdominal pain relieved by defecation (12.4%), predominantly in women. The self-reported psychological and psychosomatic symptoms of anxiety (P < 0.001) and depression (P < 0.001) were encountered more frequently in participants with IBS. The depression (P = 0.03) and anxiety measures (P = 0.02) significantly predicted IBS status.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of IBS in Chinese university students is often compared with university students in developed countries and the general Chinese population. Depression and anxiety could potentially induce IBS. Medical education should be considered when aiming to reduce stress of university students who are susceptible to IBS.
Division of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Lei
L
Shen
Hao
H
Kong
Xiaohua
X
Hou
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult