2874 Gastrointestinal (GI) and Hepatobiliary Conditions Among Medical Students: A Single Center Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Medical students go through many stressful situations and suffer from various GI and hepatobiliary conditions. The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of GI and hepatobiliary conditions among medical students, the variability among gender and race, and what effect it had on their daily life. METHODS: A survey questionnaire link via surveymonkey.com was emailed to every medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. The survey was completely voluntary and anonymous. RESULTS: 246 students answered the survey and 67 of had a GI and/or hepatobiliary conditions. 42.6% were female and 57.4% were male. 50% were aged between 21-25, 50% between 26-30, and family history of GI and hepatobiliary conditions was positive in 52.2%. Among the different ethnicities, 82.0% identified as Caucasians, 13.4% as Asians, 4.5% as African Americans, and 1.4% as Middle-Eastern. The different GI and hepatobiliary conditions reported were as follows: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) – 40.2%, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – 38.8%, ulcerative colitis – 5.9%, lactose intolerance - 4.4%, 2.9% (2 cases) had eosinophilic esophagitis, Crohn’s disease, liver hemangioma, and esophageal spasm, and 1.4% (1 response) had: peptic ulcer disease. Regarding treatment, 45.50% were not taking any medication, 44.1% were taking medication, 7.30% took both medication and psychotherapy, and 2.90% psychiatric ttreatment. The gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary conditions affected their daily life mildly (rated 1-3) in 64.7%, moderately (rated 4-7) in 26.4%, and severely (rated 8-10) in 8.8%. CONCLUSION: A significant number of medical students suffered from gastrointestinal disorders, most had the illness for over 5 years, and greater than half were taking medications. The disorders were more common in males than in females and greater than half had a positive family history. In addition, 35.2% mentioned that the condition had a moderate-to-severe effect on their daily life. GERD was the most common disorder followed by IBS which were both prevalent in almost one-third of the students with a GI condition. Overall, these findings are significant for the effect on the daily life of these medical students and the possible long-term effects on their morbidity and mental health. This study gives further evidence of the importance of stress reduction and renewed focus on student wellness in stressful academic environments.