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A population‐based study of irritable bowel syndrome in a non‐Western population
Author(s) -
Husain N.,
Chaudhry I. B.,
Jafri F.,
Niaz S. K.,
Tomenson B.,
Creed F.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
neurogastroenterology and motility
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.489
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1365-2982
pISSN - 1350-1925
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2008.01143.x
Subject(s) - irritable bowel syndrome , medicine , constipation , distress , population , logistic regression , demography , clinical psychology , environmental health , sociology
Previous studies have found no female predominance in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in non‐Western countries. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of Rome II (IBS) in both sexes in Pakistan. A Population‐based survey in a low‐income inner city area using questionnaires to diagnose Rome II IBS and assess distress, disability and stressful life events. Data were collected from 880/938 (93%) randomly selected residents. 13.4% of women and 13.1% men met criteria for Rome II IBS; 34 (3.9%) had diarrhoea‐predominant, 59 (6.7%) had constipation‐predominant IBS and 24 (2.7%) had ‘mixed IBS’. In logistic regression analysis, IBS was associated in men with high income (OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.05–2.3) and few years of education (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.2–3.9) and in women with being married (OR = 3.6; 95% CI: 1.1–11.9) and stressful life events score (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.01–1.3). Disability was associated with constipation‐predominant IBS (OR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.1–3.6), distress (OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.14–1.23) and stressful life events (OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.1–1.3). Investigations were more likely in men (54%) than in women (27%) ( P = 0.003). These findings suggest that the equal sex ratio of IBS in urban Pakistan could result from a close association between marked distress and IBS in men similar to that found in women in western studies.