Prevalence of functional gastrointestinal diseases in a cohort of Sri Lankan adolescents: comparison between Rome II and Rome III criteria

J Trop Pediatr. 2011 Feb;57(1):34-9. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmq039. Epub 2010 Jun 4.

Abstract

Little is known about the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGDs) in adolescents, especially in developing countries. This cross-sectional survey conducted in a semi-urban school in Sri Lanka, assessed the prevalence of whole spectrum of FGDs in 427 adolescents (age 12-16 years) using a validated self-administered questionnaire. According to Rome III criteria, 123 (28.8%) adolescents had FGDs. Of them, 59 (13.8%) had abdominal-pain-related FGDs [irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) 30, functional dyspepsia 15, functional abdominal pain 13 and abdominal migraine 1]. Prevalence of functional constipation, aerophagia, adolescent rumination syndrome, cyclical vomiting syndrome and non-retentive faecal incontinence were 4.2, 6.3, 4, 0.5 and 0.2%, respectively. Only 58 (13.6%) adolescents were found to have FGDs when Rome II criteria were used. In conclusion, FGDs were present in more than one-fourth of adolescents in the study group, of which IBS was the most common. Rome III criteria were able to diagnose FGDs more comprehensively than Rome II.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Pain / diagnosis
  • Abdominal Pain / epidemiology
  • Abdominal Pain / etiology
  • Adolescent
  • Aerophagy / diagnosis
  • Aerophagy / epidemiology*
  • Child
  • Constipation / diagnosis
  • Constipation / epidemiology*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Dyspepsia / diagnosis
  • Dyspepsia / epidemiology*
  • Fecal Incontinence / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / classification*
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / diagnosis
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Migraine Disorders / classification
  • Migraine Disorders / diagnosis
  • Prevalence
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sri Lanka / epidemiology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Vomiting

Supplementary concepts

  • Familial cyclic vomiting syndrome