WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

*Ali Majeed Hameed, Atheer Riyadh Jassim and Alaa Mohammed Khazaal

ABSTRACT

Background: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, with prevalence in Western countries ranging between 3–20%. Despite its high global burden, limited data are available on the prevalence of IBS in Iraq. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of IBS among a sample of Iraqi adults and to explore potential associated demographic and psychosocial factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 1, 2011, and July 30, 2012, involving 387 employees (213 males, 174 females) from three primary health care centers in Baghdad. Participants, aged 18–61 years, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire based on the Rome III diagnostic criteria for IBS. Results: The overall prevalence of IBS was found to be 12.6%. Females showed a significantly higher prevalence compared to males (16.67% vs. 9.39%, p < 0.05). No significant associations were observed between IBS and other demographic variables such as age, educational level, occupation, or marital status. Emotional stress was identified as the most common precipitating factor, reported by 65.3% of IBS cases. A positive family history of IBS was present in 48.9% of affected individuals. Despite symptom burden, only 26.5% of patients reported that IBS significantly affected their daily activities. Conclusion: IBS is prevalent among Iraqi adults, with a rate of 12.6% in the studied population. Female gender was the only factor significantly associated with higher prevalence. Further large-scale national studies are recommended to establish more comprehensive epidemiological data on IBS in Iraq.