Irritable bowel syndrome in a Bangladeshi urban community: Prevalence and health care seeking pattern

• Main Authors: Perveen Irin, Hasan Mahmud, Masud Mohammed, Bhuiyan Mohammed, Rahman Mohammed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2009-01-01
• Series: The Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology
• Subjects: Healthcare-seeking; irritable bowel syndrome prevalence; Rome-II; urban Bangladesh
• Online Access: http://www.saudijgastro.com/article.asp?issn=1319-3767;year=2009;volume=15;issue=4;spage=239;epage=243;aulast=Perveen
• ISSN: 1319-3767; 1998-4049

<b>Background/Aims</b> : Although irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder, its prevalence is unknown, especially in the urban population of Bangladesh. This community-based study aimed to find out the prevalence of IBS and healthcare-seeking patterns using the Rome-II definition. <b> Materials and Methods</b> : A population-based cross-sectional survey of 1503 persons aged 15 years and above was carried out in an urban community of Bangladesh. The subjects were interviewed using a valid questionnaire based on Rome-II criteria in a home setting. Statistical analysis was performed with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Programmers and the level of significance was set at <i>P</i> &#8804; 0.05. <b> Results</b> : A response rate of 97.2&#x0025; yielded 1503 questionnaires for analysis. The prevalence of IBS was found to be 7.7&#x0025; (<i>n</i> = 116) with a male to female ratio of 1:1.36 (49 <i>vs</i>. 67). "Diarrhoea-predominant IBS" (50&#x0025;, <i>n</i> = 58) was the predominant IBS subgroup. Symptoms of abdominal pain associated with a change in stool frequency (100&#x0025;) and consistency (88.8&#x0025;) were quite common. All IBS symptoms were more prevalent among women (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.000). In the past one year, 65.5&#x0025; (<i>n</i> = 76) IBS subjects had consulted a physician with a slightly higher rate of women consulters (68.6 <i>vs.</i> 61.2&#x0025;). The main predictor for healthcare-seeking was the presence of multiple dyspeptic symptoms. <b> Conclusions</b> : The prevalence of IBS in the urban community was found to be similar to that in rural communities. A higher rate of consultation was found among urban IBS subjects than in the rural subjects, with sex not seen to be a discriminator to seek consultation.