Perceived Stress and Irritable Bowel Syndrome–Compatible Symptoms Among Turkish Medical Students Without a Prior Diagnosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To estimate the frequency of symptoms compatible with the Rome IV criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and examine their association with perceived stress among Turkish medical students without a prior physician-confirmed IBS diagnosis. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey evaluated 1100 Turkish medical students from June to July 2026. Participation was voluntary. Students with a prior physician-confirmed IBS diagnosis were excluded. Data collected anonymously included demographics, lifestyle, Rome IV-based symptoms, and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Results: Out of 362 respondents, 54 with prior IBS and 34 with incomplete surveys were excluded, leaving 274 students in the analytic sample. Forty-two students met the criteria for IBS compatibility (15.3%). No significant differences were identified for sex, smoking, coffee intake, exercise, body mass index, or academic year. Energy drink consumption showed an overall association with symptoms (P = .03). Symptom prevalence varied across perceived stress categories (overall P = .02); however, the crude high- vs low-stress comparison was imprecise (OR, 4.00; 95% CI, 0.80-20.04). In multivariable analysis, each 1-point increase in PSS-10 score was associated with greater adjusted odds of IBS-compatible symptoms (aOR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.03-1.15; P = .003). Energy drink use at least once weekly was also independently associated with higher adjusted odds of symptoms (aOR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.06-5.48; P = .04). Conclusion: IBS-compatible symptoms were reported by 15.3% of medical students without a prior diagnosis. Higher perceived stress and weekly energy drink use were independently associated with symptom status. Prospective multicenter studies are needed to establish temporality.