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National Prevalence of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Jordanian Children
Eyad Altamimi1,2, Elena Scarpato3, Ibraheem Saleh4
1Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
Insights
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) affect over a third of Jordanian school children, with functional constipation being the most prevalent. This study highlights the need for further research into contributing factors in this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are highly prevalent in pediatric populations worldwide.
- Limited data exists on FGID prevalence in the Middle East, necessitating regional studies.
- The Rome criteria provide standardized diagnostic guidelines for FGIDs in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) among school-aged children in Jordan.
- To identify the most common FGIDs in this specific demographic.
- To provide baseline data for future research and clinical interventions.
Main Methods:
- A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted.
- The Arabic version of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version (QPGS-RIII) was administered to children aged 4–18.
- Diagnosis of FGIDs was based on meeting Rome III criteria.
Main Results:
- Out of 1587 participants, 32.4% met the criteria for at least one FGID.
- Functional constipation was the most common FGID (16.0%), followed by aerophagia (7.0%), abdominal migraine (5.1%), and irritable bowel syndrome (3.6%).
- FGIDs showed a slight, non-significant trend towards being more common in younger girls and older boys.
Conclusions:
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common in Jordanian school children.
- Functional constipation is the leading FGID in this population.
- Further research is recommended to explore predisposing factors for FGIDs in Jordanian children.
Introduction:
Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common in children. After the introduction of Rome criteria for diagnosis, assessment of prevalence of such disorders became an attainable goal. Since data from our part of the world are scarce, this study aimed at estimating the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in Jordanian children.
Patients And Methods:
In a school-based cross-sectional study, recruited children between the age of 4 and 18 were asked to fill the Arabic version of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version (QPGS-RIII). Patients were identified based on meeting the ROME III criteria.
Results:
Of 2000 children that were recruited, 1587 (79.4%) returned completed questionnaires. Males accounted for 841 (53%) of participants. Mean age was 10.2 years (range, 4 to 18 years). A total of 815 (51.4%) of participants were younger group (4 to 10 years of age), mean ± SD age of the two age groups was 8.1 ± 1.4 and 14.0 ± 1.8 years, respectively. Overall, 514 (32.4%) children met the criteria for having at least one FGID. The most common FGIDs in Jordanian children were functional constipation, followed by Aerophagia, abdominal migraine, and irritable bowel syndrome (prevalence estimates of 16.0%, 7.0%, 5.1%, and 3.6%, respectively). FGIDs were more common in younger girls and older boys but were not statistically significant. Concomitant presence of more than one FGID was observed in almost 15% and 22% of younger and older age groups, respectively.
Conclusion:
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in Jordanian school children. Functional constipation is the most common disorder. Further studies investigating the predisposing factors in our population are needed.
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