title: Prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in school-aged children in El Salvador.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We studied the epidemiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in school-aged Salvadoran children using standardized diagnostic criteria.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of FGIDs in school-aged children in El Salvador.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 395 children participated in the study (one public school and one private school). School children completed the Spanish version of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III (QPGS-III), an age-appropriate and previously validated instrument for diagnosing FGIDs according to the Rome III criteria. Sociodemographic (age, sex, type of school) and familial (family structure and size, family history of gastrointestinal disorders) data were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the sample was 11.8 years ± 1.6 SD (median 10, range 8-15) and 59% of the participants were female. Eighty-one children met the diagnostic criteria for a FGID (20%). Defecation disorders were the most common group of FGIDs. Functional constipation was diagnosed in 10% of the children and 9.25% were diagnosed with abdominal pain-related FGIDs (most commonly IBS, 3.75%). IBS overlapped with functional dyspepsia in 11% of the cases. Children with FGIDs frequently reported nausea. Children attending private school and older children had significantly more FGIDs than children in public school and younger children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FGIDs are common in school-aged Salvadoran children.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Hospital Nacional de Niños Benjamín Bloom, San Salvador, El Salvador.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Zablah
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
authors: C A
authors: CA
authors: Velasco-Benítez
authors: Department of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Hospital Nacional de Niños Benjamín Bloom, San Salvador, El Salvador.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Merlos
authors: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, EE. UU.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Bonilla
authors: Division of Digestive Diseases, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, EE. UU.. Electronic address: miguel.saps@nationwidechildrens.org.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Saps
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004544:El Salvador / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Epidemiology; Epidemiología; Estreñimiento; Functional constipation; Functional gastrointestinal disorders; Irritable bowel syndrome; Nausea; Náuseas; Síndrome de intestino irritable; Trastornos funcionales gastrointestinales