Clinical profile and factors associated with irritable bowel syndrome among medical students in Cotonou (Benin)

Introduction: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that often results in general medicine and gastroenterology consultations. This study aims to determine IBS prevalence, to describe its clinical features, to determine its associated factors as well as its impact on the education among medical students in Cotonou. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study on medical students over the period 1 August-29 September 2017 The diagnostic criteria were: Rome IV, Bristol scale, Cungi scale and HADS score. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 software. Results: Out of 315 students included in the study, 44 (14%) had IBS. The factors associated with IBS were female gender (OR [CI 95%] = 2.4 [1.2 - 4.7]; p = 0.00), regular consumption of fatty foods (OR [CI 95%] = 2.0 [1.1 - 3.9J; p = 0.03), high to severe levels of stress (OR [CI 95%] = 2.2 [1.1 - 4.7]; p= 0.02) and moderate to severe state of anxiety (OR [CI 95%] = 1.9 [0.9 - 3.6]; p= 0.04). IBS-related absenteeism was rare (1 case; 2.3%). Conclusion: IBS is common among medical students in Cotonou. The identified modifiable factors associated with IBS were stress, anxiety and regular consumption of fatty foods. No appreciable impact on the education was reported.