Psychosocial-spiritual factors in patients with functional dyspepsia: a comparative study with normal individuals having the same endoscopic features.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study is to identify factors that are associated with dyspeptic symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) in a multivariate context.


METHODS
Demographic data, personal habits, stressful life events, and psychological distress were compared between functional dyspeptic patients with gastric reddish streaks and asymptomatic counterparts who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy as part of a self-paid physical check-up.


RESULTS
There were 93 patients in the symptomatic group and 67 patients in the asymptomatic group. FD patients had a lower proportion of tea consumption (38 vs. 61%, P = 0.004), more were single (20 vs. 6%, P<0.05), less belief in religion (46 vs. 66%, P<0.05), a greater number (median+/-interquartile range, 3.0+/-2.0 vs. 2.0+/-2.0, P<0.001) and more severity (1.5+/-0.9 vs. 1.0+/-1.0, P<0.001) with regard to stressful life events, greater scores of symptom dimensions of somatization, depression, anxiety, and psychotism and general severity index of psychopathology as compared with asymptomatic counterparts. Only tea consumption [odds ratio (OR) = 0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.15-0.72, P<0.01)], religion (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.19-0.91, P<0.05), number of stressful life events (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.28-5.88, P<0.01), and somatization (OR = 6.80, 95% CI = 1.21-38.08, P<0.05) remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
FD with gastric reddish streaks exhibited increased somatization, more stressful life events, less belief in religion, and less tea consumption as compared with asymptomatic counterparts. The findings of the study suggest the importance of adopting a more comprehensive holistic bio-psycho-socio-spiritual model when dealing with FD patients.
Chen
Tseng-Shing
TS
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, #201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei, Taiwan 11217, China. tschen@vghtpe.gov.tw
Luo
Jiing-Chyuan
JC
Chang
Full-Young
FY
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000150:complications; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D013662:Tea
D013662:Tea