Rome III survey of irritable bowel syndrome among ethnic Malays

Table 1 Univariable and multivariable analysis of irritable bowel syndrome and non-irritable bowel syndrome among ethnic Malays in the north-eastern region of Peninsular Malaysia using Rome III criteria n (%)

Parameters	IBS (n = 24)	No IBS (n = 197)	Crude OR (95%CI)	Adjusted OR1 (95%CI)	P value1
Age (yr, mean ± SD)	41.42 ± 13.5	36.87 ± 15.9	1.02 (-11.2, 2.13)	1.07 (0.99, 1.16)	0.08
Sex
Male	11 (45.8)	93 (47.2)	0.95 (0.40, 2.21)	2.32 (0.39, 13.87)	0.36
Female	13 (54.2)	104 (52.8)	1.00	1.00
Education level
Primary education	1 (4.2)	40 (20.3)	0.08 (0.01, 0.61)2	0.15 (0.01, 2.70)	0.20
Secondary education	7 (29.2)	107 (54.3)	0.20 (0.08, 0.53)2	0.27 (0.05, 1.40)	0.12
Tertiary education	16 (66.7)	50 (25.4)	1.00	1.00
Occupational status
Not working	9 (37.5)	100 (50.8)	0.58 (0.24, 1.39)	1.36 (0.20, 9.04)	0.75
Work full-time	15 (62.5)	97 (49.2)	1.00	1.00
Individual income
Low income ( ≤ RM1000)	6 (25.0)	130 (66.0)	0.17 (0.06, 0.45)2	0.77 (0.1, 6.14)	0.80
High income (> RM1000)	18 (75.0)	67 (34.0)	1.00	1.00
Marital status
Single or divorced	4 (16.7)	74 (37.6)	0.33 (0.11, 1.01)2	0.64 (0.06, 6.42)	0.71
Married	20 (83.3)	123 (62.4)	1.00	1.00
Number of children in family1	3.58 (2.3)	2.79 (2.9)	1.09 (0.95, 1.25)	0.87 (0.58, 1.32)	0.51
Smoking status
Non-smoke	15 (62.5)	150 (76.1)	1.00	1.00
Current smoker	2 (8.3)	31 (15.7)	0.64 (0.14, 2.97)	1.09 (0.18, 10.19)	0.94
Ex-smoker	7 (29.2)	16 (8.1)	4.37 (1.56, 12.31)2	1.92 (0.19, 19.52)	0.58
Red flag symptoms
Symptoms absent	4 (16.7)	168 (85.3)	0.03 (0.01, 0.11)2	0.02 (0.004, 0.10)	< 0.001
Symptoms present	20 (83.3)	29 (14.7)	1.00	1.00
Psychosocial alarm
None	19 (79.2)	182 (92.4)	0.10 (0.01, 1.74)	0.19 (0.005, 7.64)	0.38
Non-serious problems	4 (16.7)	14 (7.1)	0.29 (0.01, 5.67)	0.20 (0.004, 10.37)	0.42
Serious problems	1 (4.2)	1 (0.5)	1.00	1.00

¹Adjusted for all parameters listed in Table 1, P < 0.05 significant;

²Significant on univariate analysis with P < 0.05. OR: Odds ratio; RM: Ringgit Malaysia; IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome.

Table 2 Comparison of prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome across populations in Malaysia and Singapore

Studies	Region	Sample size (n)	Diagnostic criteria	Population type	Reported prevalence of IBS
Tan et al[12]	Klang Valley, Central Peninsular Malaysia	533	Rome I	Multi-ethnic; young; medical students Malays 278 (52.2%), Chinese 179 (33.6%), Indian 48 (8.6%)	Overall 84 (15.8%); Malays 15.8%, Chinese 16.2%, Indian 15.2%
Rajendra et al[13]	North-western Peninsular Malaysia	949	Rome II	Multi-ethnic; mean age 33.6 yr; mixed urban and rural; Malays 314 (33.1%)	Overall 148 (15.5%); Malays 12.4%, Chinese 17.5%, Indians 16.8%
Current study	North-eastern Peninsular Malaysia	221	Rome III	Malays only; mean age 37.7 yr; mixed urban and rural	Malays 24/221 (10.9%)
Gwee et al[14]	Singapore	2276	Manning, Rome I, II	Multi-ethnic; mean age 40 yr; urban; Malays 263 (11.6%)	Overall: Manning 11%, Rome I 10.4%, Rome II 8.6%; Malays: Manning 9.9%, Rome I 10.3%, Rome II 6.8%

IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome.