The Sense of Coherence Index and the Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Comparison among Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients with and without Coexisting Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Non-Patients, and Controls

Abstract

Background: Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a global orientation that affects coping with stressors. A strong SOC is associated with better health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate SOC among patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and matched controls. Methods: Seventy-nine IBS patients and 72 matched controls completed questionnaires and were tested for fibromyalgia (FS). The controls were subdivided into healthy controls (n = 49) or IBS non-patients (n = 23), and the patients into IBS only (n = 54) or IBS and FS (n = 25). Results