Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 18, 2026
Perturbations of Circulating miRNAs in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Detected Using a Multiplexed High-throughput Gene Expression Platform
Published on: November 30, 2016
Socioeconomic Disparity and Risk of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Cohort Study With Mediation Analysis
Yesheng Zhou1, Si Liu1, Qian Zhang1
1Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; State Key Laboratory of Digestive Health, Beijing, China; National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Early Gastrointestinal Cancer Medicine and Medical Devices, Beijing, China.
Background & Aims:
The study sought to investigate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and risk of incident irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the mediating role of lifestyle factors.
Methods:
Participants free of IBS at recruitment were included in this retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected cohort (N = 353,790). SES was assessed through household income, education, and employment status, with different patterns identified through latent class analysis. Healthy lifestyle score was calculated including never smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, healthy diet, regular physical activity, normal body mass index, and healthy sleep duration. The primary endpoint was incident IBS. A Cox proportional hazards model with sequential mediation analysis was used to estimate the association and mediation effect.
Results:
During a median follow-up of 14.5 years, 7240 (2.1%) incident IBS cases were identified. Overall, 94,660 (26.7%), 186,317 (52.7%), and 72,813 (20.6%) participants were classified into low, medium, and high SES patterns, respectively. A high SES pattern was associated with lower IBS risk vs a low SES pattern (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.57-0.66), with 10.2% of effect mediated by a healthy lifestyle score. Similar findings were observed for SES scores. Regarding individual SES items, higher household income and education and employed status were linked to 8%-32% lower IBS risk, with 5.6%-20.8% of mediation proportions. Notably, individuals with high SES pattern and healthy lifestyle score of 5 or 6 had a 55% (hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.51) reduced IBS risk vs those with a low SES pattern and healthy lifestyle score of 0-2.
Conclusions:
Higher SES is associated with reduced risk of incident IBS with mediation effect of healthy lifestyle factors. Interventions targeting both SES inequalities and lifestyle improvements may help reduce IBS burden.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Irritable Bowel Syndrome I: Introduction
IBS is a chronic condition that can persist over a long period or recur frequently.
The pathogenesis of IBS involves a complex interplay of the following factors:
Altered...
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Evaluation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified into subtypes based on the predominant bowel habits as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS). The subtypes are:
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome III: Medical and Nursing Management
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...