Abstract
Background. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a poor quality of life that may affect their social and professional achievements. Although patients with IBS have a poorer quality of life, the relationship between IBS subtype and quality of life is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between disease subtypes and quality of life in patients with IBS at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil during 2023-2024.
Methods. This study was conducted on 245 patients with digestive discomfort and problems and diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. Convenience sampling method was used to select the participants. IBS-Quality of Life (IBS-QOL) questionnaire and the Rome IV criteria for IBS were used to collect the data. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.
Results. Of the total number of IBS patients, 166 were female (67.8%) and 79 were male (32.2%). In terms of education, 2.9% were illiterate, 22.4% were students, and 74.7% had a university education. In terms of overall health scores, there was no statistically significant difference between the IBS subgroups (P>0.05). The mean quality of life score was 86.67±19.77, and the mean symptom severity score was 1.95±0.65.
Conclusion. It can be concluded that although the quality of life of patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS was lower than that of patients with constipation-predominant and mixed IBS, no significant differences were found between the disease subtypes.
Practical Implications. Measuring quality of life parameters as part of future treatment trials in IBS will help ensure optimal treatment.