Prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in an Older Bi-Racial Population

Purpose: There is limited data on the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in the elderly, particularly among older blacks. In a large community study of elderly, we describe the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome and its association with age, gender, race and education. Methods: Study subjects are participants in the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a population based study of residents aged 65 years and older of a geographically defined area. In the period 2002–2005, 5273 in-home interviews were administered. The interview included items on gastrointestinal symptoms applying the ROME II criteria. Results: Irritable Bowel syndrome was seen in 225 of 4058 participants yielding an overall prevalence of 4.3%. In a logistic regression model including terms for age, gender, race and education we found the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome was significantly higher with female gender (OR = 1.4; 95% CI; 1.04,1.9), black race (OR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.4, 2.8), increasing age (OR = 1.02; 95% CI 1.001,1.04) and lower education (OR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.63,0.96). Conclusion: The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome may be higher in females, blacks, and individuals with lower educational attainment.Table: Multiple-Adjusted Odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for Prevalence of IBS by age, sex, race and education. Chicago Health and Aging Project 2002–2005.