ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Gastroenterology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1643177
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Gut Microbiome's Role in Gastric Cancer: Mechanisms and TherapiesView all 10 articles
Factors Associated with Symptom Relief in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, China
- 2The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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Abstract Background: Symptom relief in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) varies widely, influenced by demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors. Identifying factors associated with symptom relief can enhance management strategies for IBS patients. Objective: This study aimed to examine factors associated with symptom relief in a cohort of IBS patients, focusing on the role of demographic, lifestyle, psychological, and physiological characteristics. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 278 IBS patients treated at a tertiary hospital. Demographic data, IBS subtype, symptom severity, lifestyle factors, and psychological variables (anxiety, depression, stress) were collected. Symptom relief, defined as a 50% reduction in baseline symptom severity, was the primary outcome. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with symptom relief, with subgroup analyses examining key demographic and lifestyle factors. Results: In multivariate analysis, symptom severity (OR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.05-1.37, p=0.008), daily exercise (OR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.01-2.24, p=0.04), and low depression scores (OR=0.93, 95% CI: 0.89-0.98, p=0.003) remained independent predictors of symptom relief. Conclusion: Symptom severity, daily exercise, and lower depression levels are independently associated with symptom relief in IBS patients, highlighting the importance of lifestyle modifications and mental health support. These findings suggest that physical activity and psychological well-being were associated with symptom relief, highlighting their potential relevance in holistic IBS management strategies.
Keywords: IBS, Symptom relief, lifestyle factors, Psychological factors, cohort study
Received: 08 Jun 2025; Accepted: 24 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Luo, Shen, Zhang, Dong and LV. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Muhan LV, Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, China
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