Determinants of healthcare‐seeking behaviour among subjects with irritable bowel syndrome

• Published in: Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics Vol. 23; no. 11; pp. 1667 - 1675
• Main Authors: WILLIAMS, R. E., BLACK, C. L., KIM, H.‐Y., ANDREWS, E. B., MANGEL, A. W., BUDA, J. J., COOK, S. F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2006; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Costs and Cost Analysis; Digestive system; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - economics; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - psychology; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Other diseases. Semiology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Quality of Life; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Human; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Behavior; Irritable bowel syndrome
• ISSN: 0269-2813; 1365-2036
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2006.02928.x

Summary Background Doctor visits for irritable bowel syndrome are associated with high medical costs. Predictors of medical consultation for irritable bowel syndrome remain poorly understood. Aim To determine factors associated with healthcare seeking for irritable bowel syndrome. Methods Subjects from previous US population‐based survey were contacted 2 years later. Those who continued to have irritable bowel syndrome were included. Results 49% of subjects sought medical care for abdominal symptoms in the past year. Healthcare seeking did not differ significantly between males and females, but more females received an irritable bowel syndrome diagnosis. Predictors of irritable bowel syndrome healthcare seeking differed by gender. In multivariate analysis, age ≥55 years (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.5–5.4), fear abdominal symptoms relates to serious illness (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.95–3.1), decreased bowel movements (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 0.98–3.2), dyspepsia (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.94–3.2) and pelvic pain (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2–4.4) were associated with seeking care in females. Among males, being disabled (OR = 11.6, 95% CI: 2.4–56.1) and abdominal cramping (OR =4.3, 95% CI: 1.2–15.4) were associated with seeking care. Healthcare seekers had lower irritable bowel syndrome‐related quality of life. Neither pain severity nor mental health status was associated with seeking care. Conclusion Healthcare‐seeking behaviour among irritable bowel syndrome patients was determined by presence of comorbidities and extent that irritable bowel syndrome affected quality of life, not physical symptoms or mental health status.