Childhood abuse history is associated with the development of dyspepsia: a population-based survey in Japan

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a heterogeneous disorder, and it is not clear whether childhood abuse influences the severity of dyspeptic symptoms and the type of dyspepsia. Accordingly, we administered a questionnaire survey to evaluate the association of abuse history in the development of dyspepsia.

Study subjects were selected from among a panel of volunteers, to make equal distribution of age, sex, and residential area. A Web-based questionnaire was administered to uninvestigated dyspepsia subjects who had obtained a consultation at a medical institute, dyspepsia subjects who had not, and healthy control subjects. Dyspepsia was categorized into epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) and postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) using the Rome III adult FGID questionnaire. Physical, sexual, and psychological abuse history and severity of dyspeptic symptoms were assessed by a questionnaire.

Each type of abuse was significantly prevalent in uninvestigated dyspepsia subjects. Childhood abuse history was significantly prevalent in dyspepsia. However, these abuse histories were not associated with consultation behavior. Childhood abuse was more prevalent in subjects with dyspepsia and in females. Severity of dyspeptic symptoms was significantly greater in dyspepsia subjects with a history of abuse. Childhood abuse was more prevalent in dyspepsia subjects with the overlap of EPS and PDS and in those who also had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Childhood abuse history was associated with the development of dyspepsia especially in the overlapping diagnoses of EPS and PDS, and overlapping with IBS but not with consultation behavior. Abuse history should be assessed in the care of patients with dyspepsia.