Life style in persons with functional gastrointestinal disorders - large-scale internet survey of lifestyle in Japan

Background Care of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) commonly includes offering guidance on diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors, but there is little information available on the actual lifestyles of FGID sufferers. Methods An internet questionnaire survey of 15 000 adult members of the general public in Japan who were screened for functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using the Rome III adult FGID questionnaire was conducted. Key Results The prevalence of FD and IBS was 6.5% and 14.0%, respectively, and 3.0% of the subjects met the criteria for both FD and IBS. The prevalence of both FD and IBS was higher in women than in men. The lifestyles of 2 547 subjects who met the Rome III criteria for FD, IBS, or both were compared with the lifestyles of 1 000 control subjects who did not meet the criteria for FD or the criteria for IBS. Compared to the control subjects, a significantly lower percentage of subjects with FD, IBS, or both exercised frequently, and a significantly higher percentage thought that their sleep was insufficient, ate meals irregularly, did not have an appetite, did not like meat, thought that their vegetable consumption was insufficient, felt stress in their daily lives, and regarded themselves as being highly susceptible to stress. Conclusions & Inferences Persons with FGIDs are affected by impairment of sleep, eating habits, diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors, and feel excessive stress. This suggests that offering lifestyle guidance to FGID patients may be useful.