Knowledge, Awareness, and Practices Toward Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Among the General Population in the Al-Baha...

Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic medical condition that presents with abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, diarrhea, among others. Understanding the knowledge, awareness, and practice of IBS is crucial for the early recognition of symptoms, treatment, and management of the condition. Methods This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study that utilized data from a sample of 421 participants drawn from the general adult population in the Al-Baha region of Saudi Arabia. Data were cleaned, coded, and then analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26 (Released 2018; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), to derive key insights. Results The study found that 85 (20.2%) had high knowledge, the majority 299 (71.0%) had medium knowledge, while only 37 participants (8.8%) had low knowledge about IBS. Participants aged 20-39 years (p < 0.001), those with postgraduate studies (p = 0.039), and those employed (p = 0.002) demonstrated considerably good knowledge about the condition compared to other groups. The most frequently reported symptom of IBS was abdominal bloating (368, 87.4%); psychological stress (388, 92.2%) was the most commonly reported factor that worsens IBS. The most common source of information about the condition was social media (214, 50.8%). Being employed was positively associated with high knowledge about IBS (AOR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.048-3.665; p = 0.035). Conclusion The study found the level of knowledge about IBS to be inadequate among the population, with significant gaps in understanding the potential health risks posed by the condition. The most common source of information about IBS was social media. Being employed was significantly associated with high knowledge of the condition. The study highlights the need for targeted health education and awareness campaigns to increase awareness of the condition, ultimately improving treatment outcomes.