S3154 Can Yoga Relieve Symptoms of IBS: What Are Patients Reading Online?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by chronic abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of an organic disease. Affected individuals often seek online sources for self-education as well as to find alternative treatments for symptomatic relief. This study evaluated the quality, readability, and content of readily accessible online resources on yoga and IBS using validated assessment tools. METHODS: An internet search of the terms “yoga and irritable bowel syndrome” using the Google search engine to obtain the first 100 websites. Websites that were non-accessible, included videos and photos without transcripts, ads to magazines or books, study enrollment, event invitation or duplicates were excluded. Websites were categorized by intended audience: patient vs professional. Quality was evaluated using the validated DISCERN instrument with scores categorized as Excellent 56-75, Good 36-55 or Poor < 36. Readability was determined using the validated Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Calculation. Statistical analysis was conducted using a two-tailed Fisher’s Exact Test and a Two-Sample T-test, with a P-value set at < 0.05. RESULTS: 100 websites were evaluated with 73 websites meeting the inclusion criteria. 50 (68.5%) websites were intended for patients and 23 (31.5%) were for medical professionals. The average Flesch-Kincaid grade level was 11.5, with a significant difference (P < 0.0001) between patient (10.1 grade level) and professional (14.6 grade level) websites. The mean DISCERN score was Good (score 43.5): 11 websites scoring Excellent (15%), 35 websites scoring Good (47.9%), and 27 websites scoring Poor (37.1%). Patient sites were less likely (P < 0.0001) to provide references (30%) compared to professional sources (91.3%). CONCLUSION: Online information on yoga and IBS is readily available for patients and professionals. Based on the validated DISCERN tool, the quality of website information was rated as good, but readability exceeded the NIH 6th grade reading level recommendation. Online websites targeted towards patients should be readable and written in patient-centered language. This study highlights the likely need for improvement in the current online sources available for both patients and professionals regarding IBS and yoga.