UNITED-STATES HOUSEHOLDER SURVEY OF FUNCTIONAL GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS - PREVALENCE, SOCIODEMOGRAPHY, AND HEALTH IMPACT

Our objective was to obtain national data of the estimated prevalence, sociodemographic relationships, and health impact of persons with fun ctional gastrointestinal disorders. We surveyed a stratified probabili ty random sample of U.S. householders selected from a data base of a n ational market firm (National Family Opinion, Inc.). Questions were as ked about bowel symptoms, sociodemographic associations, work absentee ism, and physician visits The sampling frame was constructed to be dem ographically similar to the U S. householder population based on geogr aphic region, age of householder, population density, household income , and household size. Of 8250 mailings, 5430 were returned suitable fo r analysis (66% response). The survey assessed the prevalence of 20 fu nctional gastrointestinal syndromes based on fulfillment of multinatio nal diagnostic (Rome) criteria. Additional variables studied included demographic status, work absenteeism, health care use, employment stat us, family income, geographic area of residence, population density, a nd number of persons in household. For this sample, 69% reported havin g at least one of 20 functional gastrointestinal syndromes in the prev ious three months The symptoms were attributed to four major anatomic regions: esophageal (42%), gastroduodenal (26%), bowel (44%), and anor ectal (26%), with considerable overlap. Females reported greater frequ encies of globus, functional dysphagia, irritable bowel syndrome, func tional constipation, functional abdominal pain, functional biliary pai n and dyschezia; males reported greater frequencies of aerophagia and functional bloating Symptom reporting, except for incontinence, declin es with age, and low income is associated with greater symptom reporti ng The rate of work/school absenteeism and physician visits is increas ed for those having a functional gastrointestinal disorder. Furthermor e, the greatest rates are associated with those having gross fecal inc ontinence and certain more painful functional gastrointestinal disorde rs such as chronic abdominal pain, biliary pain, functional dyspepsia and IBS. Preliminary information on the prevalence, socio-demographic features and health impact is provided for persons who fulfill diagnos tic criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders.