Assessing Gastrointestinal Tolerance in Healthy Adults: Reliability and Validity of a Weekly Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Clinical Trial Methodology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Assessing gastrointestinal tolerance to nondigestible carbohydrates requires reliable symptom measurement tools.
• A weekly symptom questionnaire may reduce participant burden compared to daily assessments.
• The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) is a potential tool for evaluating digestive tolerance.

Observation:

• This study performed a secondary analysis on the reliability and validity of the GSRS in healthy adults.
• Internal consistency reliability of GSRS syndromes and a daily questionnaire (DQ) comparator were determined.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis assessed the GSRS syndromes' prediction of slow transit stool form.

Findings:

• The daily questionnaire (DQ) and GSRS syndromes for constipation and diarrhea demonstrated acceptable reliability.
• The overall GSRS also showed acceptable reliability, but syndromes for abdominal pain, reflux, and indigestion did not.
• GSRS syndromes accurately predicted slow transit stools (AUC = 0.855), with specific items moderately correlating with DQ items.

Implications:

• The GSRS appears useful for assessing gastrointestinal tolerance and efficacy of nondigestible carbohydrates.
• Its ability to predict slow transit stools suggests utility in identifying constipation.
• Further validation may enhance its application in clinical trials and nutritional studies.