BackgroundRecurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a common complaint in children. Significant portion of them are of functional origin. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of abdominal pain-predominant functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) and its types in Jordanian school children.MethodsThis is a school-based survey at south Jordan. Information using the self-reporting form of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version (QPGS-RIII) - the official Arabic translation - was collected. Classes from academic years (grades) 6 - 8 were selected. SPSS Statistical Package Version 17 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) was used. Categorical data were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, and continuous data were analyzed using t-test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsFive hundred questionnaires were distributed, and 454 returned answered (91%). Two hundred twenty-nine (50.8%) were males. The average age of participants was 12.7 years (11 - 15 years). One hundred sixteen (25.7%) had abdominal pain-predominant FGID. Seventy-nine (68%) of them were females. Forty-seven (10.6%) had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Thirty-six (8%), 17 (3.8%), 11 (2.4%) and five (1.1%) had abdominal migraine, functional abdominal pain, functional abdominal pain syndrome and functional dyspepsia, respectively.ConclusionAbdominal pain-predominant FGID has become a major health issue in Jordanian children. One of four children between the ages of 11 and 15 years exhibits at least one abdominal pain-predominant FGID. The most common form of abdominal pain-predominant FGID in our children was IBS. Females are affected more often than males. Intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms are seen regularly with abdominal pain-predominant FGIDs.

Background: Pediatric constipation is a common problem worldwide. Diet is one of the major determinants of bowel movement patterns, including the presence of constipation. Little is known about bowel movement pattern in Jordanian children. Parents might not recognize constipation in school children, which could lead to delayed treatment and increase rate of complication. This study aimed to investigate bowel motion pattern and constipation prevalence in Jordanian children using self-reporting. Methods: Six schools in Alkarak governorate were selected randomly. Students of grades 6-8 were asked to fill the Arabic version of Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III (QPGS-RIII) questionnaire. Children were diagnosed with constipation if two or more criteria on the QPGS-RIII were met. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze categorical data, while Student's t-test was used for continuous data. Results: Of 429 questionnaires administered, 413 (96.3%) were completed (males: 50.8%; mean age: 12.7 years old (range: 11-16 years old)). A statistically significant sex difference in the presence of hard, bulky bowel movements and fecal incontinence was observed (P = 0.000, 0.041 and 0.002, respectively). In our cohort, 110 (26.6%) children met Rome III criteria for constipation, which was not statistically significant by sex (59 (28.1%) versus 51 (25.1%), male versus female participants, respectively; P = 0.491). Conclusion: Most Jordanian school children reported a daily soft bowel movement without pain or retention. Constipation affects approximately 25% of Jordanian school children between 11 and 16 years old.