Worldwide Prevalence and Burden of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Results of Rome Foundation Global Study

BACKGROUND & AIMS Although functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), now called disorders of gut-brain interaction, have major economic effects on healthcare systems and adversely affect quality of life, little is known about their global prevalence and distribution. We investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with 22 FGIDs, in 33 countries on 6 continents. METHODS Data were collected via the internet in 24 countries, personal interviews in 7 countries, and both in 2 countries, using the Rome IV diagnostic questionnaire, Rome III irritable bowel syndrome questions, and 80 items to identify variables associated with FGIDs. Data collection methods differed for internet and household groups, so data analyses were conducted and reported separately. RESULTS Among the 73,076 adult respondents (49.5% women), diagnostic…