Authors
Amina Džidić-Krivić, Benjamin Dizdarević, Almir Mešanović, Jasna Kusturica, Emir Bećirović, Amir Bećirović, Minela Bećirović, Harisa Hibić Kaknjašević, Semir Hadžić, Emir Begagić, Sanel Suljić, Samra Kadić Vukas, Lejla Tandir Lihić
Published in
Medicinski glasnik : official publication of the Medical Association of Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Volume 23. Issue 2. Aug 07, 2026. Epub Aug 07, 2026.
Abstract
To determine the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-related symptoms and associated factors among medical students in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This cross-sectional online survey included 176 medical students from the universities of Sarajevo and Zenica between November 2022 and December 2023. IBS-related symptoms were assessed using the Serbian-language Rome III questionnaire, and test anxiety using the Westside Test Anxiety Scale. Categorical variables were compared using Pearson's χ² test.
Eighty-four students (47.7%) met the symptom-based Rome III criteria. The IBS-related symptoms group included 75 females (89.3%) compared with 54 (58.7%) in the comparison group (p<0.001). Sweets consumption at least four times weekly was reported by 53 (63.1%) and 45 (48.9%) students, respectively (p = 0.021). Test-anxiety distributions differed between groups (p < 0.001); extremely high anxiety was reported by 12 (14.3%) students with IBS-related symptoms and one (1.1%) without symptoms. Other sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics were not associated with IBS-related symptoms.
IBS-related symptoms were frequent in this medical-student sample and were associated with female sex, frequent sweets consumption, and test anxiety. The cross-sectional, self-reported design precludes causal interpretation and clinical confirmation of IBS.
PMID:
42592996
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Aug 2026.
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