Objective: This study was conducted to assess the quality of life of patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
Material and Methods: The data for the study were collected from 201 patients who were referred to Agrı Hospital, Internal Diseases and Gastroenterology Polyclinic and who were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome between February and September 2015. A questionnaire form and the irritable bowel syndrome quality of life questionnaire (IBS-QOL) were used for data collection. Percentage, average, Mann–Whitney U test, and Kruskal–Wallis test were used in the assessment of the data.
Results: The average of the patients’ quality of life total scores was found to be 61.4±18.41. Looking at the sub-dimension score averages in IBS-QOL, dysphoria was found to be 60.29±22.62; activity, 56.36±21.18; body image, 63.71±23.90; health worry, 53.11±26.89; food avoidance, 43.91±24.13; social reaction, 69.68±22.83; activity, 87.94±25.11; and social relation 69.40±26.00. A significant difference was found between quality of life and patients’ marital status (p=0.049), level of income (p=0.000), type of treatment (p=0.026), frequency of complaints (p=0.008), and general health perception (p=0.000).
Conclusion: The quality of life of the patients in the sample was found to be mildly above the average. Whereas the most affected sub-dimension was food avoidance, the least affected sub-dimension was activity. It was found that married patients, those with a low income, those using alternative methods along with drugs in treatment, those whose complaints varied depending on the diet and the medication and lasted every day, and those who had a very poor perception of their general health were found to have a significantly low quality of life.
Cite this article as: Kaya Güven G, Kıyak E. Assessment of Quality of Life in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients. Arc Health Sci Res 2020; 7(2): 146-54.