Abstract
Background: The influence of daily life exposure on the gastrointestinal tract is not fully understood. This study aimed to examine associations between functional gastrointestinal symptoms and sociodemographic status and lifestyle habits in the general population.Methods: The Malmö Offspring Study (MOS) included 2,648 participants from the general population who had answered a questionnaire about sociodemographic status, lifestyle habits, medical health, and self-reported irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The visual analog scale for IBS (VAS-IBS) was completed to assess gastrointestinal symptoms the past 2 weeks. Subjects with organic gastrointestinal diseases were excluded. Presence of self-reported IBS and gastrointestinal symptoms the past 2 weeks were used as dependent variables to study the associations with age, sex, body mass index, education, occupation, marital status, smoking, snuff using, alcohol drinking frequency, alcohol amount per drinking occasion, physical activity at work, and physical activity during leisure time, using logistic regression and generalized linear model.Results: Self-reported IBS was associated with gastrointestinal symptoms the past 2 weeks (p < 0.001). There was an association between IBS and female sex (p < 0.001), former smoking (p < 0.001), present smoking (p < 0.001), and an inverse association with drinking 3–4 standard glasses per occasion (p = 0.038). Gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with age 50–59 years (p = 0.009), ≥60 years (p = 0.004), female sex (p < 0.001), studying (p = 0.036), unemployment (p = 0.009), former smoking (p = 0.001), and present smoking (p = 0.012). In men, IBS was associated with middle-age and both IBS and gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with unemployment (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). In women, IBS was associated with present smoking (p = 0.022), and gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with former smoking and inversely associated with higher age (p = 0.006) and intermediate physical activity at work (p = 0.008). No associations were found with BMI, education, marital status, or snuff using.Conclusion: Self-reported IBS in the general population shows strongest association with female sex and smoking, whereas gastrointestinal symptoms also are associated with unemployment and inversely associated with higher age. In men, both IBS and gastrointestinal symptoms are associated with unemployment. In women, both IBS and gastrointestinal symptoms are associated with smoking, whereas symptoms are inversely associated with higher age and intermediate physical activity.
Highlights
The mechanism behind the functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) is unclear, and many factors such as low-grade inflammation, dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, and psychological factors are discussed as etiological factors [1, 2]
Of the 2,648 participants included (1,391 women [52.5%]), 316 participants (11.9%) had self-reported Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and 459 participants (17.3%) had experienced GI symptoms in the past 2 weeks. Those with IBS had more symptoms than those without IBS (Table 1), and there was a strong association between all individual symptoms and self-reported IBS (Table 2)
The main findings in the present population-based study were that IBS and GI symptoms the past 2 weeks were associated with female sex and smoking
Summary
The mechanism behind the functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) is unclear, and many factors such as low-grade inflammation, dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, and psychological factors are discussed as etiological factors [1, 2]. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common of the FGIDs [2]. Besides complaining of the symptoms, the disease is a common reason for staying at home from work or school [5, 6]. IBS is the most common disease at a Department of Gastroenterology, most of the patients are handled at primary healthcare centers or do not visit any physician at all [1]. This study aimed to examine associations between functional gastrointestinal symptoms and sociodemographic status and lifestyle habits in the general population
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