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Functional gastrointestinal disorders in Greek Children based on ROME III criteria: identifying the child at risk
I Bouzios1, G Chouliaras1, G P Chrousos1
11st Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Insights
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) affect about a quarter of Greek school children. Female gender, lower education, and high TV use are linked to increased FGID risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) represent a significant global health burden with unknown causes.
- Understanding FGID prevalence in pediatric populations is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of FGIDs in Greek children aged 6-18 years.
- To investigate associations between FGIDs and demographic/socioeconomic factors.
Main Methods:
- A school-based, cross-sectional study involving 1588 children (aged 6-18).
- FGID diagnoses utilized the ROME-III questionnaire (Greek translation).
- Data on demographics and socioeconomic status were collected concurrently.
Main Results:
- Overall FGID prevalence was 23.1%, with functional constipation (13.9%) and abdominal migraine (5.6%) being most common.
- Significant covariates for FGIDs included gender, household structure, victimization, parental education, physical activity, and TV exposure.
- Logistic regression identified key risk factors for FGID development.
Conclusions:
- Approximately 25% of school-aged children in Greece experience FGIDs.
- Risk factors include female gender, non-nuclear households, victimization, lower parental education, inactivity, and high screen time.
- These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions and further research.
Background:
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are a common, diverse group of disorders of unknown etiology, resulting in significant socieconomic burden. In this study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of FGIDs in children aged 6-18 years and examine their association with various demographic and socioeconomic parameters.
Methods:
This was a school-based, cross-sectional study approved by the relevant government authorities. Informed consent was obtained by the legal representatives of all children who participated. Diagnoses of FGIDs were based on the Greek official translation of the ROME-III questionnaire. Demographic and socioeconomic information were also collected.
Key Results:
A total of 1588 children (51.8% females, mean age: 12.9±2.8 years) were included. The overall prevalence of any-FGID was 23.1% (95% CI: 21.1-25.2). The most common FGIDs were functional constipation, n=231 (13.9%), abdominal migraine, n=84 (5.6%), aerophagia, n=58 (3.5%), and irritable bowel syndrome, n=48 (3.0%). Multiple logistic regression analysis on the probability of any-FGID identified physical exercise, TV-exposure, victimization, gender, parental educational level, number of children at home and number of adults at home as significant covariates for any-FGID in the final model.
Conclusions And Inferences:
FGIDs affect approximately 1 in 4 school-aged children in Greece. The following characteristics are associated with a higher probability of any-FGID: female gender, living in a non-nuclear household, victimization, lower parental education level, infrequent physical activity, and high television exposure.
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