| Popis: |
Background The literature on the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its correlates in Middle Eastern countries is scarce. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence of IBS and its associated factors among Jordanian medical students. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study at two medical faculties in northern Jordan. Using convenience sampling, we recruited 1094 medical students. Participants completed an anonymous semi-structured questionnaire inquiring about socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics, as well as IBS symptoms. We used the Rome III criteria to diagnose IBS and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to identify anxiety and depression. The chi-square test was used to determine differences between categorical variables and stepwise logistic regression was used to measure the association between IBS and its risk factors. Results The prevalence of IBS in our sample was 30.9%. Binary logistic regression analysis of factors associated with IBS indicated having a family history of IBS as a strong predictor of the disease (OR = 8.09; CI: 5.84–11.19). Students at second and third-year levels of their study had ORs of about 4 (CI: 2.20–6.54) and 3 (CI: 1.70–5.30) of suffering from IBS, respectively, as compared to students at first-year level (p = 0.001). Increased anxiety score (OR = 1.88; CI: 1.30–2.71), poor sleep quality (OR = 1.76; CI: 1.13–2.76), female gender (OR = 1.59; CI: 1.14–2.20) and living in a school dormitory (OR = 1.35; CI: 1.00-1.84) were significantly associated with IBS (p |
