Prevalence and risk factors of functional abdominal disorders according to a survey study among young people

Abstract

Introduction. The etiological aspects of functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are not clear; the epidemiology of diseases in age groups and societies can help in understanding the starting causes of the pathology.Aim. To assess the risk factors for the development and prevalence of abdominal symptoms characteristic of FD and IBS among active users of Internet communities.Materials and methods. An anonymous online survey was conducted among medical university students. The questionnaire contains questions about complaints typical of FD and IBS over the past week, “alarm” symptoms, personal characteristics of the respondent and possible risk factors: smoking, family history, taking antibiotics, iron pills, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).Results and discussion. The study included 983 respondents aged 18−26 years, 279 men and 704 women. Symptoms of unstudied regular (>1 time per week) postprandial dyspeptic disorders, bloating and abdominal pain were identified in 391 (39.8%) people, of which 29% were men and 44% were women (p < 0.001). Risk factors for regular unstudied disorders were having relatives with chronic gastrointestinal diseases (OR 2.05 [1.56, 2.70]); female gender (OR 1.92 [1.43, 2.59]); taking NSAIDs (OR 1.48 [1.14; 1.91]); for women – smoking (OR 2.24 [1.57; 3.18]). 6.5% of respondents met the criteria for FD, of which 23.4% had isolated epigastric pain, 26.6% had isolated postprandial distress syndrome, and 50% had combined FD. 2.5% of respondents met the criteria for IBS, 64% of whom had overlap syndrome with FD. The presence of FD was associated with NSAIDs use: r = 0.081; p = 0.011 (OR 1.95 [1.16; 3.30]).Conclusions. The prevalence of FD and/or IBS among people aged 18−26 years is 7.4%, with no significant differences between men and women. Taking NSAIDs can be considered as a factor contributing to the development of FD.