Association of Migraine and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Survey

Abstract

Migraine is a primary headache disorder with a prevalence of 11.6% globally and 27% in Saudi Arabia. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a prevalence of 9.2% worldwide. The prevalence of IBS has not been established nationally. However, provincial studies for migraine and IBS have been conducted nationwide. There is a significant link between migraine and IBS globally. Migraineurs had a considerably greater prevalence of IBS than nonmigraineurs ( OR = 2.49 , 95% CI 2.22-2.78). Patients with IBS have 60% higher odds for migraines. This identifies an association that needs to be investigated in a nationwide manner. The study has two main aims. The first is to measure the prevalence of migraine and irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia. The second is to observe the association and the relationship between migraine and irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Saudi Arabia between March 2021 and June 2021, whose ages are 15 years old or greater. Participants filled an online self-administered survey. The data collection tools included the Migraine Screen Questionnaire (MS-Q) for migraine symptoms, migraine severity (MIGSEV) scale for severity of migraine, and the IBS module of the Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire (R4DQ) for IBS symptoms and their subtype. With 2802 participants, the majority of the study samples were males, who constituted 52.5%. Among the study’s sample, the prevalence of migraine consisted of 27.4%, and the prevalence of IBS was 16.4%. The odds of having IBS in migraineurs were much higher than in those without migraine (OR 4.127; 95% CI 3.325-5.121), and the association was statistically significant ( p < 0.001 ). In conclusion, there is a strong association between migraine and irritable bowel syndrome in Saudi Arabia.

Impact of Work Hours on the Quality of Life of Adult Employees With Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Saudi Arabia

“…Similarly, multiple studies conducted by Chang et al in Asian countries and Hungin et al across eight European countries showed a lower overall prevalence of IBS than our population [ 19 , 20 ]. Moreover, Bin Abdulrahman et al conducted a study on a nationwide scale in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the results showed a lower IBS prevalence [ 7 ]. As the result implied, the highest prevalence of employees with IBS was in the central region of Saudi Arabia (30.7%).…”

“…Diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) was the second-most common (32%), followed by constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C) (20.6%) and unsubtyped IBS (IBS-U) (2.1%) [ 10 ]. Females outnumbered males in all of the previous national studies [ 7 - 10 ].…”

“…Also, the study found that IBS is more prevalent among women than men (12.0% (95% CI 9.3-15.0) vs. 8.6% (6.3-11.2); odds ratio 1.46 (95% CI 1.33-1.59)) [ 1 ]. Nationally, the prevalence of IBS is 16.4% in Saudi Arabia, which is higher than the global prevalence [ 7 ]. In the central region of Saudi Arabia, a study aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors of IBS.…”

Prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS and Its Risk Factors among Medical Students in Hail University

“…It was found that applying the Rome IV criteria has more significant diagnostic acumens than the Rome III principles in the IBS diagnosis, though the clinical relevance is doubtful [8]. Variable prevalence rates of IBS were reported from different regions in Saudi Arabia [9,10]. Therefore, the present study aimed to measure the irritable bowel syndrome IBS frequency and modifiable risk factors amongst medical students at the University of Hail, Saudi Arabia.…”

Assessment of Public’s Awareness Regarding Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

“…According to the findings of a study that was carried out in the Al Jouf district of Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of IBS ranges between 8.9% and 9.2%. The incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is considerably higher in persons under the age of 40 compared to those beyond the age of 40 [ 4 ].…”