The frequency of irritabl bowel syndrome among children aged 4-9 years in Izmir city center

THE FREQUENCY OF IRRITABL BOWEL SYNDROME AMONG CHILDREN AGED 4-9 YEARS IN IZMIR CITY CENTER Dr. Leyla DOGAN, Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine, Departmant of Family Medicine, Inciralti/IZMIR Objective: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common cause of childhood recurrent abdominal pain with chronic or recurrent abdominal pain, change in bowel habits and tenderness in the abdomen. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency of IBS and the influencing factors in children aged 4-9 in İzmir city center. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study included 1176 children between the ages of 4-9 who applied for Family Medicine Centers in the province of İzmir between March 1, 2017 and April 30, 2017 for various reasons. Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms Questionnaire, Roma III Version (QPGS-RIII) was applied to the volunteers (childrens' parents or caregivers), and Beck Anxiety Scale was applied to the mothers who was there with their children. Results: 603 (51.9%) of the children who were included in the study were female and 559 (48.1%) were male and the mean age was 74.5 ± 24.9 months (Min: 37-Max: 119 months). The mean weights were 22,5 ± 7,8 kg (Min: 11-Max: 61 kg). When the applied QPGS-RIII was evaluated with IBS diagnostic criteria, IBS was found in 137 children and IBS frequency was found to be 11,8% (95% GA). Socioeconomic level, eating habits, watching TV habits, maternal anxiety, and IBS status were found to be significantly different (p <0.05). While mild levels of anxiety were found in 16.5% of mothers, moderate level was found in 7.3% and high level of anxiety was detected in 2.8%; on the other hand 73.4% had no anxiety. Conclusion: Because of the high prevalence in the society, the high cost of diagnosis and treatment, and the impact of life quality on the negative side, making the IBS diagnosis has great importance. At the primary care clinics where children are closely followed for growth and development, IBS and risk factors can be identified with practical, standardized screening tools that can be filled by the family. Thus, lifestyle changes and pharmacological treatments can improve quality of life for children with irritable bowel syndrome. Key words: Irritable bowel syndrome, child, prevalence, Roma III Criteria, primary care