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

• A reliability generalization meta-analysis of the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the pre-sleep arousal scale (PSAS)
  Inês Luana Correia, Waqar Husain, Maria Teresa Gonçalves, Luís Pires, Khaled Trabelsi, Ammar Achraf, Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal, Perry M. Nicassio, Markus Jansson-Fröjmark, Michael V. Vitiello, Daniel Ruivo Marques, Haitham Jahrami
  Sleep Medicine.2025; 126: 290.     CrossRef
• Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Is Associated with the Severity of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  Soo-Jung Jung, Jae-Ho Lee, Ji-Yeon Lim, Yun-Yi Yang
  Medicina.2024; 60(10): 1605.     CrossRef
• An Association between Telomere Length and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Korean Populations
  Yun-Yi Yang, Jae-Ho Lee, Jae-Hee Park
  Keimyung Medical Journal.2024; 43(2): 122.     CrossRef
• Painful GI Conditions and Their Bidirectional Relationships with Sleep Disturbances
  Jessica K. Salwen-Deremer, Sarah Ballou
  Current Sleep Medicine Reports.2022; 8(4): 105.     CrossRef
• The Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia among College Students with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
  Yun-Yi Yang, Sangeun Jun
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(21): 14174.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
This study was performed to examine the frequency of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), perceived stress, and mental health among community-dwelling women.
METHODS
This study conducted a survey to collect data on 869 women in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The measurements included the Rome III criteria(to diagnose IBS), the Global Assessment Recent Stress(GARS scale to evaluate perceived stress), and symptom check list 90R(SCL-90R to evaluate psychological distress). Data were analyzed using SPSS 15.0 program by frequency, chi-square -tests, t-test, and analysis of variance(ANOVA).
RESULTS
The frequency of IBS in women was 15.1%. Eighty-six women(65.6%) had mixed constipation and diarrhea subtype of IBS. Compared to the women without IBS, those with IBS reported significantly higher scores on GARS, all subscales of GARS, SCL-90R, all subscales of SCL-90R, and the global severity index(GSI). No significant differences were observed among stress, mental health, and the IBS subtypes.
CONCLUSION
Nursing interventions targeting women with IBS should be developed in order to reduce the associated stress and psychological distress.