The Distribution Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome And Its Risk Factors

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the common chronic functional diseases in patients coming to the Gastroenterology Department. It is characterized by long period Clinical course and repeated symptoms. Up to date, the cause of this disease is still not recognized. Because of this reason, and there have not laboratory diagnosis test and special symptoms, patient with irritable bowel syndrome is identificated by a series of tests to exclude digestive system other organic diseases in clinical practice, these make more health care cost than patinet with other organic gastrointestinal diseases. This study aim to describe the distribution of irritable bowel syndrome and to approach its influence factors in Shanghai district.MethodsDuring January 2002 to December 2003, 724 subjects were enrolled from the outpatient department of gastroenterology and the physical examination center of Xin Hua hospital Shang Hai second medical university. Self-designed questionnaire, rutine physical examination and selective accessory diagnostic procedures were undergone in all subjects including 402 case of irritable bowel syndrome, 134 case of non-ulcer dyspepsia, 90 case of ulcerative colitis, and 98 healthy controls. The contents of investigation include: general data of the subjects, related background of the diseases, past history, life habit, related symptom of irritable bowel syndrome, other symptoms, et al. From China Hospital Knowledge Data and MEDLINE, the literature had been searched during 1980 from 2004 about irritable bowel syndrome Epidemiology. The data was managed by Excel data-base, and SPSS10.0 software was used for analyzing.Results(1) Irritable bowel syndrome was a wide-ranging distribution disease. There had more different prevalence rate in different country. At developing country, the prevalence rate was about five percentages, and at developedcountry, the prevalence rate was about fifteen percentages. In the same country, the prevalence rate at city was same, there was about between fifteen percentages and twenty percentages at American and between sixteen percentages and twenty-two percentages at UK. The city was differed from countryside on the prevalence rate, the sity was about between 4.3 percentages and 10.5 percentages, and the countryside was about between 5.7 percentages and 6.1 percentages.(2) The prevalence rate of irritable bowel syndrome was getting on the increase. It was increased from 16.0 percentages to 20.4 percentages during 1990 to 2000 in USA, and from 16.8 percentages to 21.6 percentages during 1992 to 2000 in UK. There had seasonal variation in irritable bowel syndrome, the number of patients was more in spring than in other seasonal. The numbers of male patients were the most on March, and female patients were the most on April.(3) There was close relationship between sex and IBS, in most countries, the ratio between male and female was 1:2. There was higher prevalence rate in them ental labour. Whites had higher prevalence rate than Blacks.(4) The relationship between mental status and IBS was different by controls, there were no relationship between ulcerative colitis or non-ulcer dyspepsia and IBS, but between healthy controls or all controls and IBS, OR were 3.86 (95%CI: 2.02—7.36) and 2.13 (95%CI: 1.44—3.17), respectively. Logistic regression analysis showes in all controls mental status were related to IBS, OR were between 4.77 and 9.04. Family problem, economic predicamen, work or study problem were also related to IBS, OR were 39.16 (95%CI: 9.35-164.07), 16.12(95%CI: 1.66-156.57), 35.01 (95%CI: 15.58-78.67), respectively. In all controls, insomnic was related to IBS, OR were 2.02(95%CI: 1.38—2.97), 2.31(95%CI: 1.43-3.73), 1.71(95%CI: 1.24-3.79), respectively.(5) There was also close relationship between IBS and infection of intestinal tract, dietary fiber, with ORs between 2.95 to 43.61. There was not relationship between smoking and IBS, the relationship between drinking, family history and IBS was only in healthy controls, with ORs between 2.95 to 43.61.