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Illness perceptions in people with acute bacterial gastro-enteritis
Sally D Parry1, Sally Corbett, Peter James
1University of Newcastle Faculty of Medicine, UK.
Journal of Health Psychology
|December 13, 2003
Summary
People with prior functional gastro-intestinal disorders (FGIDs) report more symptoms and perceive acute illnesses more severely. Illness perception during bacterial gastro-enteritis may influence developing chronic FGIDs.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Psychology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Functional gastro-intestinal disorders (FGIDs), such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are prevalent and can arise post-infection.
- Illness perceptions, or how individuals understand their illness, may play a role in the development of post-infectious FGIDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between pre-existing FGIDs and illness perception during acute bacterial gastro-enteritis.
- To examine how illness perception during acute gastro-enteritis predicts the development of chronic abdominal symptoms.
Main Methods:
- 217 individuals with recent bacterial gastro-enteritis completed questionnaires on gut symptoms and illness perception.
- Participants without prior FGIDs were followed for six months to assess the development of chronic symptoms.
Main Results:
- Individuals with prior FGIDs reported significantly more symptoms and higher scores on illness timeline and consequence perception compared to those without.
- Those who developed FGIDs showed a trend towards more symptoms and higher timeline/consequence scores, though not statistically significant.
- No significant differences were found in control/cure or causation perceptions between groups.
Conclusions:
- Pre-existing FGIDs are associated with heightened symptom burden and specific illness perceptions during acute infections.
- Illness perception during acute bacterial gastro-enteritis may be a contributing factor to the development of chronic functional gastro-intestinal disorders.