Abstract:

Objective  To estimate the prevalence and related factors of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional constipation (FC) in college students from a university in Shandong Province. Methods  From February to March 2009, 2500 college students were randomly selected to complete questionnaires including the Rome Ⅲ Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Health Quality of IBS Questionnaire. Results   Valid responses were obtained from 2126 participants, in which 167 fulfilled criteria for IBS while 115 for FC. The prevalence rates of IBS and FC were 7.85% and 5.41% respectively. The IBSconstipation subtype accounted for the majority( 36.5%), followed by IBSdiarrhea (31.1%) and IBSmixed (23.9%). In the FC group, the main symptoms were straining (93.9%) and  sensation of incomplete evacuation during defecation(93.0%). Both IBS and FC groups showed higher anxiety and depression scores than the healthy controls. Among daily lifestyle factors, the low exercise level and recent negative life events indicated a higher risk for IBS and FC respectively. Conclusion  The prevalence rates of IBS and FC in the college students from the university in Shandong Province are lower than those in Western countries. The low exercise level and recent negative life events are the risk factors for IBS and FC respectively.

Key words: Irritable bowel syndrome; Functional constipation; Epidemiology; Rome Ⅲ criteria