Association between eating habits and irritable bowel syndrome in university students

Zuzunaga Montoya F.E.; Quintana-Durand F.L.; Vera-Ponce V.J. · Revista Cubana de Medicina Militar (2025)

Resumen

Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional disorder that affects between 10% and 20% of the general population, with a prevalence in Peru of approximately 15%. Despite its high frequency, there is a lack of research on its associated factors in the country. Objective: To determine the association between eating habits and irritable bowel syndrome in university students. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study with non-probabilistic sampling of university students from a private institution in Peru. The diagnosis of IBS was based on the ROMA IV criteria. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Poisson regression with robust variance to obtain crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRa). Results: A total of 503 students were included. The prevalence of IBS was 11.13%, and 51.69% of students had poor eating habits. Multivariate analysis showed that students with poor eating habits were 1.25 times more likely to have IBS compared to those with healthy eating habits (PRa= 1.25; 95% CI: 1.17-1.33; p< 0.001). Conclusions: Poor eating habits significantly increase the likelihood of IBS among the university students studied. It is recommended to promote healthy eating habits in the university environment and conduct further research on specific dietary interventions for this population.

Instituciones: Universidad Ricardo Palma; Universidad Tecnológica del Perú; Universidad Continental