Irritable Bowel Syndrome among Medical Students in Jordan: A cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. IBS is not a life-threatening condition; however, it considerably reduces the quality of life of sufferers. This study aims at assessing the prevalence of IBS, its subtypes, and associated factors among medical students at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST).Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among medical students at JUST from November 2019 to February 2020. A structured, pre-validated, comprehensive, self-administered, and anonymous questionnaire was used. The questionnaire consists of three parts: sociodemographic and behavioral factors related questions, Rome IV diagnostic questionnaire, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). A total of 396 students participated in our study.Results The prevalence of IBS among medical students at JUST was 28.5%. The predominant IBS subtype was IBS-mixed (IBS-M), which constituted 42.5% of the cases. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that gender, family history of IBS, academic level, residence, stress level, anxiety level, and depression level were the main predictors of IBS. Males were fifty percent less likely to suffer from IBS compared to females. Students who had a family history of IBS were two and half times more likely to suffer from IBS. Students who had extremely severe stress were five times more likely to have IBS than those with normal stress levels. Students who had extremely severe depression were three and half times more likely to suffer from IBS than those who had normal depression level. Students who had extremely severe anxiety levels were two and half times more likely to suffer from IBS than those of normal anxiety level. The odds of having IBS were highest among fifth-year students, followed by sixth-year students compared to first-year students. The anxiety level regression model revealed that students living with their families have a reduced risk for IBS by 50% than students living in a private house.Conclusion IBS is highly prevalent among medical students at JUST. Sex, family history of IBS, academic level, residence, stress level, anxiety level, and depression level were the risk factors of IBS. Offering emotional and psychological support and stress management courses may be needed to enhance students' ability to deal with stress, reduce anxiety and depression.