Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common medical disorder affecting the gastrointestinal system. IBS is common among medical students, contributes to considerable impairment in quality of life by affecting the persons social and emotional functioning leading to depression, and decreased academic achievement. The present study aimed to study the burden, clinical aspects, and determinants of IBS among medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study; the non-probability convenient sampling method collected data on 346 medical students via an online-Google form questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23. Chi-square and multinomial Logistic regression were used.
Results: The studys mean age was 23.19 years (SD: 2.63); 50.6% were females. Of the total, 60 subjects (17.3%) matched the Rome IV criteria for IBS. The prevailing types were IBS-C (38.3 %) and IBS-M (35 %). Abdominal pain was severe and interfered with the daily life activities of the majority of the students. The students who studied in private colleges were 3.7 times more likely to suffer from IBS than students of governmental colleges [odds ratio (OR): 3.67; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.533, 8.821, p < 0.004]. The smokers were 2.17 times more likely to suffer from IBS than the non-smokers (OR: 2.175; 95% CI: 1.007, 4.697, 8.821, p < 0.048).
Conclusion: IBS was found as a common health problem among medical students. It was more prevalent among students in private colleges. Smoking and anxiety were found to be essential determinants of IBS.
Key words: Irritable bowel syndrome, Jeddah, anxiety, depression, medical students
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