Determinants of quality of life among adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome symptoms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53713/nhsj.v5i4.543Keywords:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Adolescent Health, Quality of LifeAbstract
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can harm the quality of life, social, economic, and psychological aspects. The declining quality of life of adolescents with IBS will have a significant effect on the next stage of life. This study aims to identify the determinants of quality of life in adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in public senior high schools. The design of this study was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 344 adolescents selected by consecutive sampling. Data collection employed self-report instruments, including demographic characteristics, the IBS Symptom Severity Score (IBS-SSS), the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15), and the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life (IBS-QOL) scale. A multivariate analysis using multiple logistic regression shows a significant relationship between the severity of IBS symptoms, psychological distress, and somatic symptoms on the quality of life of adolescents with IBS symptoms (p-value < 0.001; < 0.001; < 0.001). From the results of the final modeling using multiple logistic regression, it is evident that somatic symptoms are the most influential determinant of the quality of life of adolescents with symptoms of IBS, with an Odds Ratio (OR) value of 0.620 (95% CI: 0.470-0.818). The Health Departments, health professionals, schools, and parents are encouraged to collaborate in designing consultation, education, intervention, and evaluation programs to manage IBS and somatic symptoms experienced by adolescents.
References
Addante, R., Naliboff, B., Shih, W., Presson, A. P., Tillisch, K., Mayer, E. A., & Chang, L. (2019). Predictors of Health-related Quality of Life in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients Compared with Healthy Individuals. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 53(4), E142–E149. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCG.0000000000000978
Al-Beltagi, M., Saeed, N. K., Bediwy, A. S., & Elbeltagi, R. (2025). Breaking the cycle: Psychological and social dimensions of pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders. World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, 14(2), 103323. https://doi.org/10.5409/wjcp.v14.i2.103323
Bonnert, M., Olén, O., Bjureberg, J., Lalouni, M., Hedman-Lagerlöf, E., Serlachius, E., & Ljótsson, B. (2018). The role of avoidance behavior in the treatment of adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome: A mediation analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 105, 27–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2018.03.006
Bosman, M. H., Weerts, Z. Z. R., Snijkers, J. T., Vork, L., Mujagic, Z., Masclee, A. A., Jonkers, D. M., & Keszthelyi, D. (2023). The Socioeconomic Impact of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Analysis of Direct and Indirect Health Care Costs. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 21(10), 2660-2669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2023.01.017
Camilleri M. (2021). Diagnosis and Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Review. JAMA, 325(9), 865–877. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.22532
Gelech, J., Desjardins, M., Mazurik, K., Duerksen, K., McGuigan-Scott, K., & Lichtenwald, K. (2021). Understanding Gut Feelings: Transformations in Coping With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Among Young Adults. Qualitative Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323211011442
Goodoory, V. C., Guthrie, E. A., Ng, C. E., Black, C. J., & Ford, A. C. (2023). Factors associated with lower disease-specific and generic health-related quality of life in Rome IV irritable bowel syndrome. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 57(3), 323-334. https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17356
Keefer, L., Bedell, A., Norton, C., & Hart, A. L. (2022). How Should Pain, Fatigue, and Emotional Wellness Be Incorporated Into Treatment Goals for Optimal Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Gastroenterology, 162(5), 1439-1451. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2021.08.060
Kuliaviene, I., Gelman, S., & Kupcinskas, J. (2024). Patient-Physician Relationship in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Review on Empathy and Stigma. Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, 33(1), 107–114. https://doi.org/10.15403/jgld-5018
Long, Y. Q., Xu, W. L., Li, L. X., He, H. Q., Wang, J. J., Shan, G. D., Dai, N., & Chen, H. T. (2024). Characteristics and Risk Factors of Functional Dyspepsia Fulfilling the Rome IV Criteria Overlapping With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Functional Constipation in South China. Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility, 30(2), 184–193. https://doi.org/10.5056/jnm23084
Mayer, E. A., Ryu, H. J., & Bhatt, R. R. (2023). The neurobiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Molecular Psychiatry, 28(4), 1451-1465. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-023-01972-w
Michalsen, V. L., Vandvik, P. O., & Farup, P. G. (2015). Predictors of health-related quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. A cross-sectional study in Norway. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 13(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-015-0311-8
Memel, Z. N., Shah, N. D., & Beck, K. R. (2025). Diet, nutraceuticals, and lifestyle interventions for the treatment and management of irritable bowel syndrome. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 40(5), 1013-1030. https://doi.org/10.1002/ncp.11307
Murphy, R., Harris, B., & Wakelin, K. (2022). Too shamed to tell: The impact of shame on illness disclosure in women living with inflammatory bowel disease. Gastrointestinal Nursing, 20(5), 42-48. https://doi.org/10.12968/gasn.2022.20.5.42
Muscatello, M. R. A., Bruno, A., Mento, C., Pandolfo, G., & Zoccali, R. A. (2016). Personality traits and emotional patterns in irritable bowel Syndrome. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 22(28), 6402–6415. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v22.i28.6402
Muse, K., Johnson, E., & David, A. L. (2020). A Feeling of Otherness: A Qualitative Research Synthesis Exploring the Lived Experiences of Stigma in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), 8038. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158038
Palamenghi, L., Figliuc, P., Leone, S., & Graffigna, G. (2022). Food and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A scoping review on the impact of food on patients’ psychosocial quality of life. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30(5), 1695-1712. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13755
Papale, A. J., Flattau, R., Vithlani, N., Mahajan, D., & Nadella, S. (2024). A Review of Pharmacologic and Non-Pharmacologic Therapies in the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Current Recommendations and Evidence. In Journal of Clinical Medicine (Vol. 13, Issue 22). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13226948
Purc-Stephenson, R. J., & Blake, K. (2025). Understanding diagnostic delays and health outcomes for inflammatory bowel disease: a mixed-methods study of patients’ perspectives. Quality of Life Research, 34(3), 823-832. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-024-03852-4
Qureshi, S. R., Abdelaal, A. M., Janjua, Z. A., Alasmari, H. A., Obad, A. S., Alamodi, A., & Shareef, M. A. (2016). Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Global Challenge Among Medical Students. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.721
Ranasinghe, N., Devanarayana, N. M., Rajindrajith, S., Perera, M. S., Nishanthinie, S., Warnakulasuriya, T., & de Zoysa, P. T. (2018). Functional gastrointestinal diseases and psychological maladjustment, personality traits and quality of life. BMC Gastroenterology, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-018-0760-8
Silva-Bueno, L., Meneses-Claudio, B., Matta-Solis, H., & Matta-Zamudio, L. (2020). Health-related quality of life in students of an education institution of ventanilla. Advances in Science, Technology and Engineering Systems, 5(5), 966–972. https://doi.org/10.25046/aj0505118
Sjölund, J., Kull, I., Bergström, A., Ljótsson, B., Törnblom, H., Olén, O., & Simrén, M. (2024). Quality of Life and Bidirectional Gut-Brain Interactions in Irritable Bowel Syndrome From Adolescence to Adulthood. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 22(4), 858-866.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2023.09.022
Sperber, A. D., Bangdiwala, S. I., Drossman, D. A., Ghoshal, U. C., Simren, M., Tack, J., Whitehead, W. E., Dumitrascu, D. L., Fang, X., Fukudo, S., Kellow, J., Okeke, E., Quigley, E. M. M., Schmulson, M., Whorwell, P., Archampong, T., Adibi, P., Andresen, V., Benninga, M. A., … Palsson, O. S. (2021). Worldwide Prevalence and Burden of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Results of Rome Foundation Global Study. Gastroenterology, 160(1), 99-114.e3. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2020.04.014
Stanculete, M. F., Ismaiel, A., Popa, S. L., & Capatina, O. O. (2023). Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Resilience. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12134220
Staudacher, H. M., Black, C. J., Teasdale, S. B., & Keefer, L. (2023). Irritable bowel syndrome and mental health comorbidity — Approach to multidisciplinary management. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 20(9), 582-596. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-023-00794-z
Trindade, I. A., Melchior, C., Törnblom, H., & Simrén, M. (2022). Quality of life in irritable bowel syndrome: Exploring mediating factors through structural equation modelling. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110809
Umrani, S., Jamshed, W., & Rizwan, A. (2021). Association Between Psychological Disorders and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.14513
Yildirim, Y., Artan, Y., & Unal, N. G. (2025). Relationship Between Social Isolation, Loneliness and Psychological Well-Being in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: The Mediating Role of Disease Activity Social Isolation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 34(8), 3276-3287. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.17509
Zeng, X., He, J., Li, X., Chen, P., Zuo, J., Cai, X., ... & Qu, J. (2023). Clinical efficacy of one-finger meditation massage on IBS-C based on the “gut-brain axis” theory: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 23(1), 185. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-023-04019-3
