Background: The quality of life disruption in children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has not been thoroughly studied.
Objective: We aim to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) of children with irritable bowel syndrome and investigate the underlying factors related to the occurrence of these disorders.
Methods: We examined seventy-one children suspected of suffering from IBS. We used the Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQL) to assess their QoL.
Results: The patients' QoL scores in the field of physical performance were 48.59 ± 5.42, in emotional state it was 57.95 ± 11.07, in social function it was 58.59 ± 12.16, and in educational performance it was 56.76 ± 12.13. The mental status of girls was more affected than that of boys, while the academic performance of boys was more affected than that of girls. Younger children had more defects in academic performance, while mental disorders were evident at older ages. Patients with abdominal pain had lower physical performance, those with diarrhea had lower social performance, and the incidence of loss of appetite had an inverse relationship with social performance score. The type of medication for IBS did not have a noticeable effect on QoL.
Conclusion: In Iranian children with IBS, various dimensions of QoL are severely disturbed. Gender, age and clinical manifestations are determinants of impaired QoL. However, routine treatments to control IBS may not be effective in improving or reducing the severity of quality of life.