title: Self-reported abdominal symptoms in relation to health status in adult patients with familial adenomatous polyposis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis who undergo surgery to prevent colorectal cancer experience various abdominal symptoms that may affect their physical and mental health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate self-reported presence, frequency, and troublesomeness of abdominal symptoms in such patients in relation to gender, type of surgery, and physical and mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort study with a descriptive and comparative cross-sectional design.
  
  
  METHODS
  All adult patients in the Swedish Polyposis Registry (Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden) who were diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis, had undergone prophylactic colorectal surgery, and were aged 18 to 75 years were invited to return a mailed questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported presence, frequency, and troublesomeness of 21 abdominal symptoms were assessed with the Abdominal Symptom Questionnaire. Physical health and mental health were evaluated with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 275 eligible patients, 209 (76%) responded. Of respondents, 190 (91%) reported having had at least 1 symptom during the last 3 months. All 21 symptoms investigated were reported. A higher number of symptoms was reported by women than by men: mean, 7.55 (SD, 4.89) vs 5.14 (4.49); P < .01. No significant difference was found between women and men in overall troublesomeness of symptoms: 3.15 (1.30) vs 3.09 (1.27); P = .763. Self-reported number of symptoms was an independent predictor of physical and mental health, with a high number of symptoms related to poor physical and mental health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Abdominal Symptom Questionnaire has not been previously used in patients with FAP, and measurement of physical and mental health with the Short Form 36 Health Survey may not capture all aspects of health status in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis suffer from a wide variety of abdominal symptoms after colorectal surgery. Identification of patients with a high number of abdominal symptoms is especially important because the number of abdominal symptoms affects patients' physical and mental health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Kaisa.Fritzell@ki.se
authors.forename: Kaisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fritzell
authors.forename: Lars E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Björk
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hultcrantz
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wettergren
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011125:Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult