Predictors of healthcare-seeking behavior among Chinese patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Table 1 Irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea patients reported medication use (n = 487) n (%)

Medications	The whole disease course	The past year
Probiotics	240 (49.3)	254 (52.2)
Traditional Chinese Medicine	195 (40.0)	201 (41.3)
Pinaverium bromide	49 (10.1)	82 (16.8)
Loperamide	19 (3.9)	21 (4.3)
Traditional antispasmodic	11 (2.3)	10 (2.1)

Data were presented as number and percentage of patients who used medications.

Table 2 Factors with significant difference between consulted and non-consulted patients with irritable bowel syndrome n (%)

	Consulters	Non-consulters	OR (95%CI)
During the whole disease course	n = 285	n = 231
Ordinary abdominal pain/discomfort	174 (61.1)	101 (43.7)	2.02 (1.43-2.92)
Persistent symptoms	104 (36.5)	60 (26.0)	1.64 (1.12-2.40)
Disease course ≥ 7 yr	121 (42.5)	77 (33.3)	1.48 (1.03-2.12)
Co-existed with GERD	157 (55.1)	107 (46.3)	1.42 (1.00-2.01)
Sleeping disorder	179 (62.8)	121 (52.4)	1.54 (1.08-2.18)
Anxiety1	128 (67.4)	98 (57.0)	1.56 (1.02-2.38)
Depression1	64 (33.7)	41 (23.8)	1.62 (1.02-2.58)
In the past year	n = 409	n = 107
Mental labor	199 (48.7)	33 (30.8)	2.13 (1.35-3.35)
Severe abdominal pain	68 (16.6)	27 (25.2)	0.59 (0.36-0.98)
Loose stool	312 (83.6)	70 (72.9)	1.70 (1.07-2.69)
Weight loss	119 (29.1)	17 (15.9)	2.17 (1.24-3.81)

¹The number of consulters and non-consulters were 190 and 172. IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease; OR: Odds ratio.

Table 3 Factors with significant difference between frequent and infrequent consulters in patients with irritable bowel syndrome n (%)

	Frequent consulters	Infrequent consulters	OR (95%CI)
During the whole disease course	n = 136	n = 149
Female	76 (55.9)	65 (43.6)	0.55 (0.35-0.86)
Severe symptoms	39 (28.7)	24 (16.1)	1.93 (1.08-3.45)
Weight loss	45 (33.1)	26 (17.4)	2.34 (1.35-4.07)
Co-existed with FD	94 (69.1)	79 (53)	1.98 (1.22-3.22)
In the past year	n = 201	n = 208
Severe symptoms	62 (30.8)	24 (11.5)	3.42 (2.03-5.75)
Ordinary abdominal pain/discomfort	123 (61.2)	97 (46.6)	1.8 (1.22-2.67)
Persistent symptoms	80 (39.8)	48 (23.1)	2.20 (1.44-3.38)
Weight loss	71 (35.3)	48 (23.1)	1.82 (1.18-2.81)
Co-existed with FD	131 (65.2)	114 (54.8)	1.54 (1.04-2.30)

Data were presented as n (%). χ² test. FD: Functional dyspepsia; OR: Odds ratio; CI: Confidence interval.

Table 4 Factors with significant difference of medication behaviors in patients with irritable bowel syndrome in the past year n (%)

	Long-term medication(n = 88)	Intermittent medication (n = 370)	OR (95%CI)	Medications ≥ 3 kinds (n = 68)	Medications < 3 kinds (n = 390)	OR (95%CI)
Mental labor	26 (29.5)	169 (45.7)	0.59 (0.30-0.82)
Severe symptoms	33 (37.5)	73 (19.7)	2.44 (1.48-4.03)
Persistent symptoms	45 (51.1)	107 (28.9)	2.57 (1.60-4.13)	33 (48.5)	119 (30.5)	2.15 (1.27-3.62)
Weight loss	40 (45.5)	86 (23.2)	2.75 (1.70-4.47)	28 (41.2)	98 (25.1)	2.09 (1.22-3.56)
Anxiety1	46 (79.3)	163 (61.3)	2.42 (1.23-4.79)	40 (78.4)	169 (61.9)	1.87 (1.11-3.15)
Depression1	24 (41.4)	75 (28.2)	1.80 (1.00-3.23)
Co-exist with FD				49 (72.1)	232 (59.5)	1.76 (1.00-3.10)

¹The number of long-term medication and intermittent medication were 58 and 266. χ² test. IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; FD: Functional dyspepsia; OR: Odds ratio.

Table 5 Factors with significant difference between irritable bowel syndrome patients with satisfaction and dissatisfaction to medical care n (%)

	Satisfaction	Dissatisfaction	OR (95%CI)
During the whole disease course	n = 293	n = 223
Severe symptoms	76 (25.9)	38 (17.0)	1.71 (1.10-2.64)
Ordinary abdominal pain/discomfort	179 (61.1)	96 (43.0)	2.08 (1.46-2.96)
Persistent symptoms	112 (38.2)	52 (23.3)	2.04 (1.38-3.01)
Mucous stool	196 (66.9)	129 (57.8)	1.47 (1.03-2.11)
Weight loss	90 (30.7)	46 (20.6)	1.71 (1.13-2.57)
Co-existed with GERD	162 (55.3)	102 (45.7)	1.47 (1.03-2.08)
Co-existed with sleeping disorder	189 (64.5)	111 (49.8)	1.83 (1.29-2.62)
Anxiety1	145 (72.5)	81 (50.0)	2.64 (1.70-4.08)
Depression1	73 (36.5)	32 (19.8)	2.34 (1.44-3.78)
In the past year	n = 255	n = 261
Severe symptoms	69 (27.1)	45 (17.2)	1.69 (1.11-2.58)
Ordinary abdominal pain/discomfort	155 (60.8)	120 (46.0)	1.66 (1.17-2.34)
Persistent symptoms	98 (38.4)	66 (25.3)	1.73 (1.19-2.52)
Mucous stool	172 (67.5)	153 (58.6)	1.46 (1.02-2.10)
Weight loss	81 (31.8)	55 (21.1)	1.65 (1.11-2.45)
Anxiety1	125 (72.7)	101 (53.2)	2.34 (1.51-3.64)
Depression1	61 (35.5)	44 (23.2)	1.82 (1.15-2.89)

¹The number of satisfaction and dissatisfaction were 172 and 190. χ² test. IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease; OR: Odds ratio.

Table 6 Multivariate analysis of factors associated with healthcare seeking behaviors and satisfaction to medical care in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

	Adjusted OR (95%CI)
Consultation in the whole disease course
Ordinary abdominal pain/discomfort	2.07 (1.31-3.27)
Consultation in the past year
Mental labor	2.19 (1.35-3.55)
Weight loss	2.17 (1.22-3.89)
Frequent consultations in the whole disease course
Severe symptoms	1.88 (1.12-3.15)
Weight loss	1.94 (1.09-3.47)
Frequent consultations in the past year
Severe symptoms	1.74 (1.06-2.82)
Persistent symptoms	1.66 (1.01-2.72)
Frequent colonoscopies in the whole disease course
Sensation of incomplete evacuation	2.76 (1.35-5.67)
Co-existed pain in other parts of the body	1.92 (1.07-3.45)
Long-term medication in the past year
Persistent symptoms	2.02 (1.07-3.81)
Weight loss	2.58 (1.38-4.82)
Dissatisfaction with medical care in the whole disease course
Ordinary abdominal pain/discomfort	1.99 (1.24-3.18)
Weight loss	1.73 (1.01-2.95)
Anxiety	2.08 (1.20-3.59)

Logistic regression analysis. IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; OR: Odds ratio.