[01] Ranjula Dissanayake, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Safiya Mariyam Mohamed Nawas, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Ahmad Zubair Bin Mohd Johari, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Nursyafiqah Mohd Narowi, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [05] Melissa Bidah Sim Mei Hua, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia.

There were a few risk factors that can contribute to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS seemed to be undiagnosed as symptoms might not be irritable for them to continue their daily life. We conducted this study to assess the prevalence, awareness and risk factors associated with IBS among medical students at Melaka-Manipal Medical College. This was an analytical cross-sectional study with a self-administered questionnaire consisted of 3 parts was distributed. The first part consisted of socio-demographic characteristics and symptoms predicting IBS. The second part was Rome IV diagnostic criteria, to classify the IBS. The third part consisted of a scale of Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-42). This questionnaire was distributed to medical students in semester 6 & 7. Chi-square test was used to find an association between socio-demographic characteristics, stress, anxiety and depression with Irritable bowel syndrome. Depression, stress and anxiety had a significant association with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Students with depression had an odds ratio of 16.91, 95% CI of 3.59-79.57, chi-square value of 20.468 and p-value of <0.001. Students with stress had an odds ratio of 10.43, 95% CI of 2.24-48.68, chi-square value of 12.572 and p-value was <0.001. Students with anxiety had an odds ratio of 19.20, 95% CI of 4.07-90.65, chi-square value of 22.993 and p-value was <0.001. In general, medical students with depression, stress and anxiety were more likely to develop IBS compared to those without the problems. Our findings suggest that undergraduate medical students in Melaka MMMC who were in semester 6 and 7 had a positive significant association between depression, anxiety and stress and irritable bowel syndrome. 10% of the students had IBS that related to stress, anxiety and depression.

Cross-sectional, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Medical Students, Prevalence, Predictors

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