Frequency of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Medical Students

Abstract

Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) represents a real public health problem. It is a very common gastrointestinal disorder which has significant impact on the quality of life of patients. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of irritable bowel syndrome according to the criteria of Rome III and to identify the determining factors. Methods: We carried out a prospective cross-sectional observational study with a descriptive aim among students of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Marrakech. Forty eight students were collected in our study. Results: The prevalence of IBS is estimated at 23.07%. The average age was 22.5 years with ages ranging from 19 to 26 years. A clear predominance of females was noted with a sex ratio of 0.5 (32 females / 16 males). According to the criteria of Rome III, the subtype with predominant constipation presents 60% (N = 21), the subtype with predominant diarrhea presents 54.28% (N = 19), and the mixed form presents 14.25% (N = 5). The most common association was abdominal pain with constipation. Most of the students had intermittent minimal chronic pain, mostly epigastric, accentuated by stress and calmed by stool emission. In association with digestive signs, asthenia was present in 97.14% of patients. The majority of cases had an incorrect lifestyle: 62.5% had an unbalanced diet, and 87.5% did not practice regular physical activity. Conclusion: Irritable bowel syndrome is relatively frequent in the active population. Our study objectified that IBS represents a significant percentage within our target population. They are determined principally by stress especially during exams, gender, genetic profile and unhealthy lifestyle.