• R E Williams, C L Black, H-Y Kim, E B Andrews, A W Mangel, J J Buda, and S F Cook.
• Worldwide Epidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3395, USA. rachel.e.williams@gsk.com
• Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 2006 Jun 1; 23 (11): 1667-75.

BackgroundDoctor visits for irritable bowel syndrome are associated with high medical costs. Predictors of medical consultation for irritable bowel syndrome remain poorly understood.AimTo determine factors associated with healthcare seeking for irritable bowel syndrome.MethodsSubjects from previous US population-based survey were contacted 2 years later. Those who continued to have irritable bowel syndrome were included.Results49% of subjects sought medical care for abdominal symptoms in the past year. Healthcare seeking did not differ significantly between males and females, but more females received an irritable bowel syndrome diagnosis. Predictors of irritable bowel syndrome healthcare seeking differed by gender. In multivariate analysis, age > or = 55 years (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.5-5.4), fear abdominal symptoms relates to serious illness (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.95-3.1), decreased bowel movements (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 0.98-3.2), dyspepsia (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.94-3.2) and pelvic pain (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.4) were associated with seeking care in females. Among males, being disabled (OR = 11.6, 95% CI: 2.4-56.1) and abdominal cramping (OR =4.3, 95% CI: 1.2-15.4) were associated with seeking care. Healthcare seekers had lower irritable bowel syndrome-related quality of life. Neither pain severity nor mental health status was associated with seeking care.ConclusionHealthcare-seeking behaviour among irritable bowel syndrome patients was determined by presence of comorbidities and extent that irritable bowel syndrome affected quality of life, not physical symptoms or mental health status.

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