ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common gastrointestinal diseases. The pathophysiology is multifactorial and psychosocial distress worsens symptoms severity. Since the end of 2019 the world has been facing COVID-19 pandemic. The associated control measures have affected the psychological health of people. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders among Italian children and adolescents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study sample is composed of 407 patients (187 males, 220 females), aged from 10 to 17 years. The mean age is 14.27 ± 2.24 years. The study was conducted through the Italian version of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version. The prevalence of each disorder has been calculated as the ratio of affected subjects for each disease and the total number of effective cases for that specific disease. RESULTS: The study demonstrates that the prevalence of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder in Italian children, during the COVD-19 pandemic, is higher, compared with the one reported in the previous studies. The most frequent disorders are Abdominal Migraine and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first one which provides data of the prevalence of Functional gastrointestinal disorders in sample of Italian adolescents, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study underlines the need to focus on stress management, in order to reduce the effects of the lockdown on the psychological wellness of the youngest.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/psychology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/etiology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/psychology , Quarantine/psychology , Social Isolation/psychology , Stress, Psychological/complications , Abdominal Pain/epidemiology , Abdominal Pain/etiology , Abdominal Pain/psychology , Adolescent , Aerophagy/epidemiology , Aerophagy/etiology , Aerophagy/psychology , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Child , Constipation/epidemiology , Constipation/etiology , Constipation/psychology , Dyspepsia/epidemiology , Dyspepsia/etiology , Dyspepsia/psychology , Fecal Incontinence/epidemiology , Fecal Incontinence/etiology , Fecal Incontinence/psychology , Female , Gastrointestinal Diseases/diagnosis , Gastrointestinal Diseases/epidemiology , Humans , Irritable Bowel Syndrome/epidemiology , Irritable Bowel Syndrome/etiology , Irritable Bowel Syndrome/psychology , Italy , Male , Migraine Disorders/epidemiology , Migraine Disorders/etiology , Migraine Disorders/psychology , Prevalence , Rumination Syndrome/epidemiology , Rumination Syndrome/etiology , Rumination Syndrome/psychology , Stress, Psychological/diagnosis , Surveys and Questionnaires , Vomiting/epidemiology , Vomiting/etiology , Vomiting/psychologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Psychological stress and anxiety, such those generated by forced quarantine, affect gastrointestinal symptoms course in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Thus, our aim was to assess, in a cohort of patients regularly followed up in a devoted outpatient clinic of Southern Italy, the association between their gastrointestinal symptoms changes, stress, and anxiety reported during the Italian lockdown. METHODS: We recruited patients from the outpatient clinic of the University of Salerno, devoted to functional gastrointestinal disorders, selecting only patients for whom an evaluation was available in the last 6 months before the lockdown. Gastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated at each visit through standardized questionnaire and pooled in a database. On 45th days from the beginning of the lockdown, patients were re-assessed by phone with the same questionnaire. Anxiety and stress levels were assessed through a self-administered online questionnaire based on Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 test and Perceived Stress Scale 10 test. KEY RESULTS: The intensity-frequency scores of several upper gastrointestinal symptoms improved (Wilcoxon test <0.05). Higher anxiety levels had a higher risk of worsening chest pain (OR 1.3 [1.1-1.7]), waterbrash (OR 1.3 [1.0-1.7]), epigastric burning (OR 1.3 [1.0-1.6]), and abdominal pain (OR 1.6 [1.0-2.3]). When compared to the interval preceding the outbreak, half of the patients declared their symptoms remained unchanged, 13.6% worsened, and 36.4% improved. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: During the COVID-19 quarantine, there was an improvement of the majority of upper gastrointestinal symptoms in our patients, and anxiety seems an important risk of worsening few of them.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/psychology , COVID-19 , Dyspepsia/physiopathology , Gastrointestinal Diseases/physiopathology , Heartburn/physiopathology , Irritable Bowel Syndrome/physiopathology , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Abdominal Pain/physiopathology , Abdominal Pain/psychology , Adult , Chest Pain/physiopathology , Chest Pain/psychology , Communicable Disease Control , Dyspepsia/psychology , Female , Gastrointestinal Diseases/psychology , Heartburn/psychology , Humans , Irritable Bowel Syndrome/psychology , Italy , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Health Questionnaire , Public Policy , SARS-CoV-2 , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Functional gastrointestinal disorders are a group of stress-sensitive gut-brain disorders. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused immense stress and anxiety among the general public. Strict measures to counter COVID-19 emergency, including physical distancing, have also taken a toll on physical and mental health. We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: An online survey was conducted in Japan for a group of randomly assigned panelists from May 26 to 27, 2020. Each respondent answered a questionnaire on stress, physical distancing, and worries about COVID-19. Gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed to diagnose FD and IBS (Rome III), and psychological symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: A total of 5157 subjects were finally enrolled, with FD in 8.5%, IBS in 16.6%, and FD-IBS overlap in 4.0%. For both gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms, respondents with FD-IBS overlap showed the worst scores, followed by IBS-alone, then FD-alone respondents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 11.9% of respondents reported deterioration and 2.8% reported improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms. FD-IBS overlap, psychological disease comorbidity, and stress at work/school were significantly associated with symptom deterioration. Younger age, commuting by public transport, and work/study from home were associated with symptom improvement. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected FD/IBS subjects, with respondents showing FD-IBS overlap syndrome as the most important independent factor associated with deterioration in gastrointestinal symptoms. Physicians need to take extra care of FD/IBS patients in the post-COVID period.