Volume 29, Issue 155, January 2025

Functional gastrointestinal symptoms among university students in Al Madinah and their association with perceived stress

Sally Elnawasany^1,2♦, Samia Saeed Alawad³, Zayed Mohammad Alnafaie⁴

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
²Associate Professor, Clinical Sciences Department, Al-Rayan National College of Medicine, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
³Lecturer, Basic Sciences Department, Al-Rayan National College of Health Sciences and Nursing, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia
⁴Assistant Professor, Clinical Sciences Department, Al-Rayan National College of Medicine, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt/Associate Professor, Clinical Sciences Department, Al- Rayan National College of Medicine, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: Functional gastrointestinal disorders FGIDs are common chronic illnesses. Multiple risk factors have been connected to the development of FGIDs, such as stress. Perceived stress is a public problem that commonly affects academic students. Aim: To assess the percentage of gastrointestinal symptoms among Al-Rayan Colleges students and the association between perceived stress and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 229 students at Al-Rayan colleges. Data was collected through an electronic form that included general information, as well as a validated questionnaire of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and 16-item ROME II criteria for FGIDS. Results: FGIDs were recorded in 146 (63.8%) participating students, upper dysmotility symptoms recorded a high prevalence rate where postprandial fullness was 70 (30.57%), Early satiety 46 (20.09%), then bloating 44 (19.21%). 26(15.2%) female students recorded significantly high perceived stress levels. There was a positive correlation between PSS and FGIDs (r =0.333, p<0.01). Good predictors for FGIDs were BMI (p = 0.048, OR = 1.061), smoking status (p = 0.016, OR = 2.958), and female gender (p = 0.011, OR = 2.600). Conclusion: FGIDs occur frequently among university students. Upper dysmotility symptoms were the most presented symptoms. There is a significant association between FGIDs and perceived stress. BMI, smoking, and female gender are good predictors of FGIDs.

Keywords: Functional, Gastrointestinal symptoms, perceived stress, university students

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e2ms3505

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i155.e2ms3505

Published: 09 January 2025