[The epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation of Guangzhou residents].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence rates of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional constipation in Guangzhou City.

METHODS

A structured history using a questionnaire on gastrointestinal symptoms during the preceding one year was obtained from random sampling 2,892 residents, 1,006 consecutively patients who visited general practitioner and 495 consecutively patients who visited gastroenterologists. All the questionnaires were filled by trained doctors.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence rates of irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation in Guangzhou City were 5.6% and 3.0%. There were 10.1%, 34.3% and 5.4%, 4.8% visitors who complained IBS and functional constipation in the general internal outpatient department and gastrointestinal outpatient department. The female was predominant in both IBS and functional constipation. The ratio of male to female was 1:1.51 and 1:1.77. With the increase of age, the prevalence rate of functional constipation rose; but IBS did not. There were 23.9% IBS patients and 17.6% functional constipation patients who had ever seen a doctor for these diseases in the community. The percentages of IBS subclasses were as the following: diarrhea predominant: 63.2%; constipation predominant: 27.0%; others: 9.8%.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence rates of IBS and functional constipation in Guangzhou City were lower than that in west countries.