Irritable bowel syndrome in a Bangladeshi urban community: prevalence and health care seeking pattern

ABSTRACT

Although irritable bowel syndrome [IBS] is a common gastrointestinal disorder, its prevalence is unknown, especially in the urban population of Bangladesh. This community-based study aimed to find out the prevalence of IBS and healthcare-seeking patterns using the Rome-II definition. A population-based cross-sectional survey of 1503 persons aged 15 years and above was carried out in an urban community of Bangladesh. The subjects were interviewed using a valid questionnaire based on Rome-II criteria in a home setting. Statistical analysis was performed with Statistical Package for Social Science [SPSS] Programmers and the level of significance was set at P questionnaires for analysis. The prevalence of IBS was found to be 7.7% [n = 116] with a male to female ratio of 11.36 [49 vs. 67]. "Diarrhoea-predominant IBS" [50%, n = 58] was the predominant IBS subgroup. Symptoms of abdominal pain associated with a change in stool frequency [100%] and consistency [88.8%] were quite common. All IBS symptoms were more prevalent among women [P < 0.000]. In the past one year, 65.5% [n = 76] IBS subjects had consulted a physician with a slightly higher rate of women consulters [68.6 vs. 61.2%]. The main predictor for healthcare-seeking was the presence of multiple dyspeptic symptoms. The prevalence of IBS in the urban community was found to be similar to that in rural communities. A higher rate of consultation was found among urban IBS subjects than in the rural subjects, with sex not seen to be a discriminator to seek consultation