Association Between Demographic Characteristics and Coping Strategies in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients

Abstract

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome affects a significant number of people and results in significant financial and emotional burdens. Besides this, the patient's physical, psychological, and social well-being might be harmed by irritable bowel syndrome. Objective(s):The aim of this study is to determine the association between demographic characteristics and coping strategies in IBS patients.Methodology: A quantitative descriptive, cross-sectional study used assessment approach with questionnaire items is conducted to determine the association between demographic characteristics and coping strategies in IBS patients for the period from 7 November 2021 to 30 May 2022. A convenient sample of (N=150) patients is selected throughout the use of non-probability sampling approach. The study sample is distributed throughout (3) Hospitals in Baghdad City. A self-report questionnaire is developed from the literature, for assessing the effect of coping strategies in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The scales were used after the permission of their authors. Furthermore, it is translated to Arabic via a valid translator using the forward-backward translation technique. Results:The data analysis found that there is significant association between following variables (Occupation, occupation section, and duration of IBS) and level of coping while there is no significant association between following variables (gender, age groups, marital status, residence educational level, income, use of medication, and type of medication with level of coping at p value ≤ 0.05. Conclusion:There is an obvious association between following demographic variables: (Income, occupation, and occupation status, and duration of IBS) and level of coping.Recommendations: Adopting educational programs to be taught for nurses and patients in different hospitals and community settings, for teaching patients how to deal with the persistent sufferings resulted from IBS symptoms.

Assessment of psychological alarms and coping strategies of medical students with irritable bowel syndrome at Zagazig University: A cross-sectional study

“…This was in accord with results from Iraq, which found that individuals with IBS tended to use adaptive coping strategies more often than maladaptive ones. [ 33 ] Furthermore, Gomez-Gomez et al .,[ 34 ] reported that self-management, active coping, and denial were the most frequently used coping strategies in patients with IBS. Furthermore, records from Iran indicate that individuals with IBS tended to employ adaptive coping strategies more frequently.…”