PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with insomnia in college students with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
METHODS
College students with IBS (n=259) were recruited in 4 universities in Daegu city and Ulsan city, South Korea. Participants completed questionnaires measuring the following variables: insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]), dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep (Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale-16 [DBAS-16]), pre-sleep arousal (Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale [PSAS]), gastrointestinal symptoms during sleep (Gastrointestinal Symptoms during Sleep), sleep hygiene (Sleep Hygiene Practices Scale [SHPS]), psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory-18 [BSI-18]), and IBS symptom severity(IBS Severity Scoring System [IBS-SSS]).
RESULTS
In our participants, 53.3%(n=138) reported having insomnia (ISI score ≥10). Compared to the non-insomnia group (n=121), the insomnia group reported significantly higher scores in DBAS-16, PSAS, gastrointestinal symptoms during sleep, IBS-SSS, SHPS, and BSI-18 (p < .001 for all). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that gastrointestinal symptoms during sleep (Odds Ratio [OR]=2.77, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.29~5.96), dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep (OR=1.04, 95% CI: 1.03~1.06), cognitive arousal before sleep (OR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.05~1.17), and somatization (OR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.02~1.23) were associated with insomnia in this sample.
CONCLUSION
Our findings indicate that insomnia is a serious problem for college students with IBS and that gastrointestinal symptoms during sleep and sleep related dysfunctional cognitions should be managed to improve insomnia of them.

Citations

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