Functional Bowel Disorders, Psychosocial Correlates and Health-related Quality of Life in a Nigerian Community: Ilisan-Remo Functional Bowel Disorders Project Protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Functional bowel disorders are functional gastrointestinal disorders affecting the middle or lower gastrointestinal tract. They occur worldwide and manifest with features of abdominal pain, bloating, distention, and/or bowel habit abnormalities such as diarrhea, constipation, or mixed diarrhea and constipation. Though benign, their interference with the patient’s daily activities constitutes a substantial socioeconomic burden. There is paucity of data concerning the functional bowel disorders and their psychosocial correlates, apart from irritable bowel syndrome, in Nigeria. More especially, these disorders have not been studied with the Rome IV iteration in the country. This study aims at bridging the observed gaps.  Materials and Methods: The study shall be a descriptive cross-sectional community-based study. The study population shall consist of a cohort of 500 consenting adults aged 18 to 70 years who are residents of Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria. A composite questionnaire consisting of demographic data, medication history, the Rome IV Functional Bowel Disorder questionnaire, the Becks Anxiety, and Depression Inventories, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report, Short Form 12, version 2 Health Survey (SF-12v2) questionnaire and other relevant questions shall be used to obtain data from the participants. We shall analyze the data obtained with the IBM- Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22. Discussion: The present study would be the first study to investigate a group of FBDs in Nigerian community using the Rome IV criteria. The study would investigate the association between the FBDs and a comprehensive list of prospective risk factors which include anxiety, depression, early trauma exposure, sleep quality, abdominal obesity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee intake, and physical exercise in a Nigerian population. It would also evaluate the health-related quality of life in persons who suffer from the FBDs and help to create awareness of the diseases. Conclusion: When completed, this study would provide vital information concerning the prevalence, risk factors and health-related quality of life of functional bowel disorders in a black African population.