Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in Italian rural and urban areas

BACKGROUND/AIMS: No comparative studies are available, as yet, in Italy, concerning the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in urban and rural areas. The aim is to compare the prevalence of IBS in Italian urban and rural areas. METHODS: 950 subjects were randomly selected from each area and completed a questionnaire regarding demographic data and the Rome II questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of IBS was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the urban (9.9%), than in the rural area (4.4%). In the urban area, a significantly higher prevalence of IBS was observed in females than in males, 67/490 (13.7%) vs 27/460 (5.9%) (p<0.05), while no gender differences were present in the rural population. CONCLUSION: In the urban area, we found a higher prevalence of IBS, and a significantly higher prevalence of IBS in females than in males, while no gender differences were present in the rural population.