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Functional Gastrointestinal Diseases and Dietary Practices among Pakistani Children-A Schools Based Cross-Sectional
Zoha Imtiaz Malik1, Muhammad Farooq Umer2, Khizar Nabeel Ali1
1Al-Shifa School of Public Health, Rawalpindi 43600, Pakistan.
Insights
Functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGIDs) are increasingly prevalent in Pakistani school children. Our study links these conditions to socio-demographic and dietary patterns, highlighting the need for public health attention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Public Health Nutrition
- Child Health Epidemiology
Background:
- Functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGIDs) represent a significant, under-researched public health concern.
- The complex etiology and rising prevalence in children, particularly in developing nations, warrant investigation.
- This study addresses the burden of FGIDs in Pakistani school children and their dietary associations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and burden of FGIDs among school-going children in Pakistan.
- To investigate the association between FGIDs and dietary intake patterns in this population.
- To identify key socio-demographic and dietary factors linked to FGIDs in Pakistani children.
Main Methods:
- A multistage random sampling of 385 school children from public and private schools in Pakistan (March-August 2022).
- Utilized the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Rome IV Criteria for data collection.
- Analyzed associations between FGIDs and dietary factors using chi-square and Fischer's exact tests.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of functional abdominal pain was 38.7% and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) was 24.9%.
- Significant associations were observed between FGIDs and gender, age, income, family size, and consumption of fruits, vegetables, beverages, and pulses.
- A notable 44.9% of participants reported a family history of gastrointestinal diseases.
Conclusions:
- FGIDs in Pakistani school children are significantly associated with various socio-demographic and dietary factors.
- These findings underscore the need for both small- and large-scale public health interventions.
- Further research can inform the development of management guidelines for FGIDs in Pakistan.
Background:
Functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGIDs) are an important yet highly under explored area among public health issues. FGIDs' complex etiology makes them of interest along with their prevalence in children steadily increasing, especially in the developing world. We aimed to determine the burden FGIDs pose on school-going children, and to determine its association with the dietary intake patterns in Pakistani children.
Methodology:
The study included 385 school-children from public and private schools in Pakistan through multistage random sampling, from March to August 2022. We used the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Rome IV Criteria for a comprehensive exploration of the issue. Associations between the FGIDs and dietary factors were analyzed using chi-square and Fischer's exact tests in SPSS version 26.0.
Results:
Females constituted 77.4% (n = 298) of all respondents, while 44.9% (n = 173) of the total reported a family history of gastrointestinal diseases. FFQ analysis showed varying consumption frequencies for different food groups. Functional abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were the highest reported FGIDs with a prevalence of 38.7% (n = 149) and 24.9% (n = 96), respectively. Statistical associations were found between different FGIDs and gender, age, household income, family members, and dietary variables such as fruit, vegetable, beverage and pulse consumption.
Conclusion:
FGIDs were found to be associated with a number of socio-demographic and dietary factors which calls for small scale and large scale attention to the issue. Results from the current study and further studies may help develop guidelines to manage these disorders in Pakistan.
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