Abstracts Division 2
44. General life satisfaction in IBS patients is not associated with gastrointestinal symptom severity
Johanna T.W. Snijkers1,2, Bjorn Winkens3, Zsa Zsa R.M. Weerts1,2, Lisa Vork1,2, Zlatan Mujagic1,2, Martine A.M. Hesselink1,2, Carsten Leue4,5, Joanna W. Kruimel1,2, Jean W.M. Muris6, Daisy M.A.E. Jonkers1,2, Ad A.M. Masclee1,2 and Daniel Keszthelyi1,2
1 Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
2 NUTRIM, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
3 Department of Methodology and Statistics, CAPHRI, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
4 MHeNS, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
5 Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
6 Department of Family Medicine, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Introduction
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of gut-brain interaction. IBS symptoms have major impact on a person’s emotional, social, and professional life. The current study aims to evaluate general life satisfaction in IBS patients and to determine which factors are associated with higher life satisfaction.
Methods
IBS patients (n=195, median age 53 years (interquartile range 29 years), 73.8% female) recruited from primary and secondary/tertiary care completed questionnaires regarding gastrointestinal symptoms (Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale-IBS), quality of life (36-item Short-Form Health Survey), psychological factors (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), gastrointestinal-specific anxiety (Visceral Sensitivity Index), and life satisfaction. Life satisfaction was measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS, 5 items, range 5-35). This instrument assesses the judgement of one’s life as a whole and does not measure satisfaction in specific life domains. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify variables associated with life satisfaction.
Results
Overall, 76.4% of the patients had a SWLS-score ≥ 20, corresponding with a neutral score or higher on life satisfaction. When a cut-off of SWLS-score ≥ 21 was used, corresponding with scores between slightly satisfied and extremely satisfied, 71.3% of the patients scored satisfied about their life. The mean of the SWLS-score was 23.9 (standard deviation 6.4). Female gender (B (unstandardized coefficient)=1.926, p=0.025), higher physical quality of life (B=0.229, p<0.001), higher mental quality of life (B=0.216, p<0.001), and fewer general anxiety symptoms (B=-0.334, p=0.032) were associated with higher life satisfaction. No significant association was found between gastrointestinal symptom severity and life satisfaction.
Conclusion
Higher quality of life and less anxiety symptoms, but not gastrointestinal symptom severity, were associated with higher general life satisfaction in IBS. These findings support the clinical need in IBS treatment to take psychological factors and quality of life into account in order to enhance life satisfaction.
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NUTRIM aims to contribute to health maintenance and personalised medicine by unraveling lifestyle and disease-induced derangements in metabolism and by developing targeted nutritional, exercise and drug interventions. This is facilitated by a state of the art research infrastructure and close interaction between scientists, clinicians, master and PhD students.
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