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Comparative Study
. 2010 Jan 15;31(2):261-73.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2009.04159.x. Epub 2009 Oct 8.

Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and health related quality of life in female veterans

D P Graham  1 , L Savas, D White, R El-Serag, S Laday-Smith, G Tan, H B El-Serag
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and health related quality of life in female veterans

D P Graham et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. .

Abstract

Background: The status and determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in female veterans with and without irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are unknown.

Aim: To compare HRQOL in female veterans with and without IBS symptoms and examine the contribution of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety to HRQOL.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 339 female veterans. Self-report questionnaires were used to evaluate IBS symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and HRQOL.

Results: Symptoms consistent with IBS were present in 33.5% of participants. Female veterans with IBS symptoms had significant reductions in physical component score and 5 of 8 Health Related Quality of Life subscales and on 7 of 8 Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality Of Life subscales than female veterans without IBS symptoms. Compared with the US general female population, female veterans had significantly lower Health Related Quality of Life physical component score and mental component scores (MCS) irrespective of IBS symptom status. Differences in the MCS score were most explained by depression, while those in the physical component score were most explained by anxiety.

Conclusions: Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms in female veterans are associated with considerable reduction in HRQOL. However, female veterans, regardless of IBS symptom status, have lower HRQOL compared with the general US female population.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Comparison of HRQOL between female veterans in the study to the US General Female population using the SF-36*
US Gen: The US General Female comparison population SF-36: Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey PCS: SF-36 Physical Component Summary Score, with an expected range of 20–58. MCS: SF-36 Mental Component Summary Score, with an expected range of 17–62. IBS: Those with symptoms from the Bowel Disorder Questionnaire consistent with an Irritable Bowel Syndrome diagnosis. No IBS: Those without symptoms from the Bowel Disorder Questionnaire consistent with an Irritable Bowel Syndrome diagnosis. *: The SF-36 is standardized differently than the SF-36V and will have different total scores than the SF-36V scores reported elsewhere in this manuscript.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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