title: Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in Italian rural and urban areas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  No comparative studies are available, as yet, in Italy, concerning the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in urban and rural areas. The aim is to compare the prevalence of IBS in Italian urban and rural areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  950 subjects were randomly selected from each area and completed a questionnaire regarding demographic data and the Rome II questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of IBS was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the urban (9.9%), than in the rural area (4.4%). In the urban area, a significantly higher prevalence of IBS was observed in females than in males, 67/490 (13.7%) vs 27/460 (5.9%) (p<0.05), while no gender differences were present in the rural population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the urban area, we found a higher prevalence of IBS, and a significantly higher prevalence of IBS in females than in males, while no gender differences were present in the rural population.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, University of Cagliari, S.S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, Monserrato (CA), Italy. usaip@medicina.unica.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Usai
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.forename: Maria Antonia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Maria Francesca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Boi
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ibba
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giolitto
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuomo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult