Mental, Physical, Dietary, and Nutritional Effects on Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Young Japanese Women

Abstract

Objective Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder. The pathogenesis of IBS is multifactorial. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of IBS using the Rome III criteria in young Japanese women and to assess the effects of mental, physical, dietary and nutritional factors on IBS. Methods In this cross-sectional study, data obtained from self-administered questionnaires, including age, height, weight, lifestyle, food habits, anxiety and depressive states and IBS-related symptoms, were analyzed in 245 participants. An established semiquantitative questionnaire available for clinical investigation (FFQg) was used to obtain a detailed assessment of food intake and the physical activity levels. Results The prevalence of IBS was 12.0%. Of the IBS participants, constipation-predominant IBS (25.0%) was more prevalent than the diarrhea-predominant subtype (17.9%). The IBS participants had lower body mass indices, consumed less eggs and milk and were more physically active than the non-IBS participants. In addition, an anxiety state was more common in the IBS participants. Those who hesitated with evacuation of stool and who thought that there is an association between abdominal symptoms, such as constipation and diarrhea, and menstruation were more predominant among the IBS participants. The percentage of individuals who reported often rushing to the toilet within the past year and experiencing borborygmus (rumbling stomach) was greater among the IBS participants. A logistic regression analysis revealed that milk intake was an independent predictor of IBS. Conclusion The prevalence of IBS observed in this study was similar to that reported in previous studies conducted in Japan and other countries. Mental, physical, dietary and nutritional factors have an impact on IBS.

Prevalence and Predictive Factors of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a Community-dwelling Population in Japan

“…Individuals with IBS believe that diet may play a role in triggering their gastrointestinal symptoms and may therefore avoid certain foods with changes in their dietary intake (12)(13)(14). Previous studies (15)(16)(17) have primarily focused on the effects of individual nutrients or foods but have rarely examined dietary patterns. However, nutrients and/or foods are consumed in dietary combinations and may 3106 have interactive or synergistic effects.…”

Visceral and somatic hypersensitivity, autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction and low-grade inflammation in a subset of irritable bowel syndrome patients

“…IBS is common in Western countries, where the incidence is up to 20%. In recent years, the morbidity in Asian countries has been rising year by year, and has now nearly reached that of Western countries (Zhong and Hou, 2012;Song et al, 2012;Omagari et al, 2013). Without biological markers, the diagnosis of IBS depends mainly on the patient's symptoms.…”

IBS Patient’s Guide

“…In contrary, higher consumption of canned food, processed meat, confectionary, chocolate and herbal tea was noted in IBS patients. It was also revealed that mean intake of protein and salt was higher in IBS patients than the recommendations [35]. Interestingly, women reported more intolerable food items than men [36].…”

“…Patients with IBS are more likely to be psychiatrically ill (panic, anxiety, mood disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder) than the general population [35]. On the contrary, people who are more prone to fear, anxiety and affective disorders more frequently suffer from IBS symptoms [64].…”