RECURRENT ABDOMINAL-PAIN - A POTENTIAL PRECURSOR OF IRRITABLE-BOWEL-SYNDROME IN ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG-ADULTS

Objectives: To assess symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in pa tients with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) 5 years after their initial evaluation, to identify the relation of IBS symptoms to functional di sability and health service use, and to determine the extent to which IBS symptoms are associated with life stress and poor psychosocial adj ustment. Methods: Patients with RAP (n = 76) and control subjects (n = 49) completed a telephone interview; measures included the Bowel Dise ase Questionnaire, the Functional Disability Inventory, the Life Event s Questionnaire, the Family Inventory of Life Events, the Center for E pidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the Self-Perception Profile f or Adolescents, and the Health Resources Inventory. Results: Five year s after the initial evaluation, patients with RAP reported significant ly more episodes of abdominal pain than did control subjects, as well as significantly higher levels of functional disability school absence , and clinic visits for abdominal distress. Female patients with RAP w ere more likely than female control subjects to meet the Manning crite ria for IBS. Among patients with RAP, higher levels of IBS symptoms we re associated with significantly greater functional disability, more c linic visits, more life stress, higher levels of depression, and lower academic and social competence. Conclusion: Female patients with a hi story of RAP may be at increased risk of IBS during adolescence and yo ung adulthood. Among adolescents and young adults with a history of RA P, IBS symptoms are likely to be associated with high levels of disabi lity and health service use.