Abstract
Background: Previous studies have shown that the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is 10% - 15% in the general population. IBS is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort and disordered defecation associated with a stressful lifestyle. However, the cause of IBS has not been clarified yet. Based on a similar, previous study in Japan, this study investigated the prevalence of IBS and the relationship between IBS and stress, lifestyle and dietary habits among nursing and medical school students in China. Methods: Designed to investigate IBS symptoms, life- style, dietary intake, life events, anxiety and depresssion, a blank self-administrated questionnaire was used to survey 2500 nursing or medical students in China. Questionnaires were collected from 2141 stu- dents (85.6%) and responses obtained from 1934 students (90.3%) were analyzed. Results: On the whole, the prevalence of IBS was 32.1% in this study, 26.6% in males and 33.6% in females. In females, the IBS group showed a bedtime later than that in the non-IBS group, and the length of time asleep in the IBS group was shorter than that in the non-IBS group (p p = 0.005). In females, the IBS group showed a frequency for the intake of vegetables and potatoes that was lower than that of the non-IBS group (p = 0.007, p = 0.023). The prevalence of IBS among nursing and medical school students in China (32.1%) was significantly lower than that in Japan (35.5%). Especially, the number of females in the constipation dominant IBS subgroup in China (11.8%) was less than that found in Japan (20.4%). Conclusions: The prevalence of IBS was high among nursing and medical students in China, but lower than that shown in Japan.
Highlights
A functional disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with abdominal pain or discomfort, with a concurrent disturbance in bowel habits [1]
In a study conducted in Japan between 2006 and 2007 [21], we investigated the prevalence of IBS and the relationship between IBS and stress, lifestyle, and dietary habits in nursing and medical students, who were selected as the subjects of the study because they had a more stressful life than students with other majors or the general population due to their demanding schedule with the university curriculum and clinical practice
The purpose of this study was to clarify the prevalence of IBS and the relationship between IBS and stress, lifestyle and dietary habits in nursing and medical school students in China, and to compare the results obtained from the Chinese subjects with data obtained from our previous Japanese study [21]
Summary
A functional disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with abdominal pain or discomfort, with a concurrent disturbance in bowel habits [1]. The neural network of the brain that generates this stress response is called the central stress circuitry [3], and it receives input from the somatic and visceral afferent pathways and from the visceral motor cortex The output of this central stress circuit is known as the emotional motor system, and it includes the autonomic efferents, such as the hypothalamus-pituitaryadrenal axis and pain modulatory systems [3]. Previous study in Japan, this study investigated the prevalence of IBS and the relationship between IBS and stress, lifestyle and dietary habits among nursing and medical school students in China. The prevalence of IBS among nursing and medical school students in China (32.1%) was significantly lower than that in Japan (35.5%).
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