IBS Prevalence Slightly Above 6% in Pandemic-Era US Survey

The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using Rome IV criteria was an estimated 6.1% based on results from an online survey of more than 88,000 US residents conducted in the spring of 2020, according to a study published in Gastroenterology.

Prior estimates, from studies with much smaller sample sizes, ranged from 4.7% to 5.3%.

“Additional research is needed to determine whether this higher prevalence is in part due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic during which this study was conducted,” wrote corresponding author Brennan M.R. Spiegel, MD, MSHS, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, and coauthors.

The findings stemmed from a nationally representative online survey that included 88,607 US adult respondents. The survey was conducted from May 3, 2020, through June 24, 2020, and was described to participants as a “national health survey.” Among various measures, participants completed the Rome IV IBS questionnaire, National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System gastrointestinal scales, and questions about health care use.

Some 5414 respondents, or 6.1% of the study cohort, met criteria for Rome IV IBS, according to the study. Among them, 33.9% had mixed IBS, 33.6% had constipation-predominant IBS, 28.1% had diarrhea-predominant IBS, and 4.4% had unsubtyped IBS.

Women, non-Hispanic Whites, younger people, and respondents with medical comorbidities had increased odds for IBS. Respondents with IBS frequently reported concomitant bloating, excess gas, and heartburn, the study found, in addition to abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits.

“Moreover,” researchers wrote, “we observed that almost half of people with IBS had not sought health care for their cardinal symptoms within the past year.”

Common reasons for not seeking care were a preference for over-the-counter medications or nonmedical treatment, symptoms were not bothersome enough for medical care, or discomfort discussing IBS symptoms with a health care provider, the study found.

Reference

Almario CV, Sharabi E, Chey WD, Lauzon M, Higgins CS, Spiegel BMR. Prevalence and burden of illness of Rome IV irritable bowel syndrome in the United States: results from a nationwide cross-sectional study. Gastroenterology. 2023;165(6):1475-1487. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.08.010