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. 2024 Mar 1;119(3):512-520.
doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002547. Epub 2023 Oct 4.

Satisfaction With Life in IBS Is Associated With Psychological Burden Rather than Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity

Johanna T W Snijkers  1   2 , Bjorn Winkens  3 , Zsa Zsa R M Weerts  1   2 , Lisa Vork  1   2 , Zlatan Mujagic  1   2 , Martine A M Hesselink  1   2 , Carsten Leue  4   5 , Joanna W Kruimel  1   2 , Jean W M Muris  6 , Daisy M A E Jonkers  1   2 , Ad A M Masclee  1   2 , Daniel Keszthelyi  1   2
Affiliations

Satisfaction With Life in IBS Is Associated With Psychological Burden Rather than Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity

Johanna T W Snijkers et al. Am J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a major impact on emotional, social, and professional life. This study aimed to evaluate general life satisfaction, a subjective measure of well-being, in IBS patients, and to determine which factors are associated with higher life satisfaction.

Methods: IBS patients (n = 195, mean age 51.4 ± 16.5 years, 73.8% female) recruited from primary and secondary/tertiary care completed questionnaires regarding gastrointestinal symptoms, quality of life, psychological factors, and life satisfaction (Satisfaction With Life Scale, 5 items, range 5-35). A finite mixture model analysis was performed to identify latent classes. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify variables associated with life satisfaction.

Results: Overall, 71.3% of the patients were satisfied about their life (Satisfaction With Life Scale-score ≥21). Three latent subgroups could be identified with significantly higher life satisfaction in the subgroup with higher mental quality of life, fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms, lower gastrointestinal specific anxiety, and lower gastrointestinal symptom severity, compared with the other 2 groups. Multivariable linear regression showed that higher physical quality of life (B0.168, P < 0.001) and higher mental quality of life (B0.199, P < 0.001) were associated with higher life satisfaction. Using multivariable regression, no significant association was found between gastrointestinal symptom severity and life satisfaction.

Discussion: Higher physical and mental quality of life, but not gastrointestinal symptom severity, were independently associated with higher general life satisfaction in IBS. These findings reinforce the clinical need in IBS treatment to focus on the full extent of the disorder and not merely on gastrointestinal symptom improvement. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00775060.

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Conflict of interest statement

Guarantor of the article: D. Keszthelyi, MD, PhD.

Specific author contributions: J.T.W.S.: study concept and design, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript writing. B. W.: study concept and design, data analysis, constructive review of manuscript. Z.Z.R.M.W.: study design cohort, data collection, constructive review of manuscript. L.V.: study design cohort, data collection, constructive review of manuscript. Z.M.: study design cohort, data collection, constructive review of manuscript. M.A.M.H.: study design cohort, data collection and processing, constructive review of manuscript. C.L.: study design cohort, constructive review of manuscript. J.W.K.: study design cohort, constructive review of manuscript. J.W.M.M.: study design cohort, constructive review of manuscript. D.M.A.E.J.: study design cohort, constructive review of manuscript. A.A.M.M.: study design cohort, constructive review of manuscript. D.K.: study concept and design, data interpretation, constructive review of manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript.

Financial support: None to report.

Potential competing interests: Z.Z.R.M.W. has received funding from WillPharma to attend a scientific meeting. Z.M. reports grants form Niels Stensen Fellowship, MLDS, ZonMw, and Galapagos and has received advisory board fees from Johnson and Johnson (paid to host institution) and speaker's fee (paid to host institution) from Galapagos, all outside the submitted work. MAMH and DMAEJ are partly financed by Public-Private partnerships Grants of Top Knowledge Institute “Well on Wheat” and “Well on Wheat 2.0”. Part of the work of DMAEJ is financed by the Carbokinetics program as part of the NWO-CCC Partnership Program, by Organic A2BV/Mothersfinest BV, by EU grants FP7 SysmedIBD/305564, BIOM/305479 and Character/305676, COST action GENIEUR, and H2020 DISCOvERIE/848228. J.W.M.M. received funding from ZonMw and Rome Foundation. A.A.M.M. has received research funding from Dutch Cancer Society, Will Pharma, and ZonMw. D.K. has received research funding from Grunenthal, Allergan, Will Pharma, UEG, MLDS, Rome Foundation, ZonMw, Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020. D.K. has received speaker's fee (paid to host institution) from Dr Falk. J.T.W.S., B.W., L.V., C.L., J.W.K. have nothing to disclose.

Data availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, JTW Snijkers, on reasonable request.

Figures

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Graphical abstract
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow chart participant selection.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Profiles of the 3 subgroups identified in the irritable bowel syndrome cohort by finite mixture model analysis. The z-score is calculated in relation to the total cohort average and SD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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