Back to the program

Frequency and symptom burden of Rome based IBS patterns among adolescents in primary care

Eren YANIK, Rumeysa KAYACAN and Ikbal Humay ARMAN

Functional gastrointestinal symptoms consistent with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common during adolescence and frequently present to primary care, with potential impacts on school attendance, health care utilization, and quality of life. Primary care plays a key role in the early recognition and appropriate management of these symptoms.To estimate the frequency of Rome based IBS symptom patterns among adolescents presenting to primary care and to describe associated symptom burden and health care seeking characteristics.We are conducting an ongoing cross-sectional survey across multiple family health centres in Istanbul, Türkiye. Adolescents aged 8 to 17 years attending primary care for any reason are screened using a brief Rome based symptom questionnaire. The selected age range aligns with commonly used pediatric IBS epidemiological frameworks and supports reliable self-reporting. Participants reporting alarm features or known organic gastrointestinal conditions are excluded to focus on functional symptom patterns relevant to primary care. Additional questionnaire items assess symptom burden and patterns of health-care use. Descriptive statistics will be used to estimate symptom frequency and burden, with exploratory group comparisons performed using chi-square tests. A minimum target sample size of 300 adolescents is planned and considered feasible within routine primary care recruitment.The questionnaire has been developed and piloted to assess feasibility, comprehension, and completion time. Participant recruitment is ongoing, and results will be presented at the conference. As a symptom based cross-sectional survey relying on self-reported data, findings may be influenced by recall bias and by the inability to establish a formal IBS diagnosis. These limitations will be considered when interpreting the results.Estimating the frequency and burden of Rome consistent IBS symptom patterns in primary care highlights the clinical relevance of functional gastrointestinal symptoms among adolescents and points to the need for structured recognition in routine practice.Primary care based assessment of Rome consistent IBS symptoms may facilitate timely recognition and patient centred management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms in adolescents.