Prevalence and risk factors of irritable bowel syndrome in Korean adolescent girls: A school-based study

Abstract 

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders, with a strong female predominance. When compared to the vast knowledge pertaining to adults with IBS, very little is known about IBS in the adolescent population. In Korea, the field of adolescent health with IBS is just beginning to develop, so there is still a lack of information concerning the prevalence of IBS in adolescent groups.

Objectives

The purposes of this study were to explore the prevalence of IBS among Korean adolescent girls, and identify the risk factors affecting IBS occurrence.

Design

This study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design using the self-reported questionnaire.

Methods

A total of 405 adolescent females were recruited from 5 academic high schools in Korea in August and September of 2007. IBS was diagnosed based on the Rome II criteria. For the evaluation of risk factors on the IBS, we investigated dietary habit, life style, stress, anxiety, depression, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Results

The prevalence of IBS according to Rome II criteria was 25.7% in the subjects. The multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that higher stress (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.13–4.48), anxiety (OR 4.27, 95% CI 1.09–16.71), and depression (OR 10.87, 95% CI 1.14–103.81) were independently associated with increased IBS occurrence.

Conclusions

The prevalence of IBS in female adolescent students from this study was higher compared with those reported in the Western countries. This study provides much need information about the relatively unstudied Korean female adolescents in terms of IBS issues and aspects of psychological attributes to IBS. This study has the potential to influence the development of better promotion programs for adolescents and women's health.

Keywords: Adolescent, Irritable bowel syndrome, Prevalence, Risk factors