Irritable bowel syndrome in a Bangladeshi urban community: Prevalence and health care seeking pattern

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder, its prevalence is unknown, especially in the urban population of Bangladesh. This community-based study aimed to find out the prevalence of IBS and healthcare-seeking patterns using the Rome-II definition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional survey of 1503 persons aged 15 years and above was carried out in an urban community of Bangladesh. The subjects were interviewed using a valid questionnaire based on Rome-II criteria in a home setting. Statistical analysis was performed with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Programmers and the level of significance was set at P <or= 0.05. RESULTS: A response rate of 97.2% yielded 1503 questionnaires for analysis. The prevalence of IBS was found…