J Neurogastroenterol Motil.  2016 Oct;22(4):670-676. 10.5056/jnm15148.

Prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Singapore and Its Association with Dietary, Lifestyle, and Environmental Factors

• Siah KT
• Wong RK
• Chan YH
• Ho KY
• Gwee KA

• KMID: 2433460
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5056/jnm15148

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has risen considerably over the past decade in Singapore. We aim to explore the contribution of changes in diet, lifestyle and habits that may contribute to the increased prevalence and development of IBS.
METHODS
This is a survey-based cross-sectional population study aimed to gather demographic, socio-economical, lifestyle, dietary, antibiotic usage and other related information. Subjects were adult male or female Singaporeans aged 21 years or above. Association of the factors gathered with the presence or absence of IBS (by Rome III criteria) was assessed using chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Variables with a level of statistical significance of 0.1 or less in the univariate analysis were entered into a stepwise logistic regression model.
RESULTS
A total of 297 subjects participated in the study (female 60.3%). Overall, 20.9% subjects fulfilled the Rome III IBS criteria. Univariate analysis showed that IBS was associated with pet ownership, antibiotic usage, late dinner, (> 9 PM) and consumption of Western meals, coffee, and bread. The multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that IBS was independently associated with being a pet owner (P = 0.008; OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.278-5.037).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of IBS was 20.9% using the Rome III criteria in our study. The association between IBS and pet ownership will need further investigation.

Keyword

Epidemiology; Irritable bowel syndrome; Pets

MeSH Terms

Adult
Bread
Coffee
Diet
Epidemiology
Female
Humans
Irritable Bowel Syndrome*
Life Style*
Logistic Models
Male
Meals
Ownership
Pets
Prevalence*
Singapore*
Coffee