Stressful life events moderate impact of symptom severity on HRQOL in IBS patients

Symptom severity is a predictor of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during the progression of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and stressful life events facilitate such association, suggests a study.

“The more stressful life events an IBS patient experiences, the less predictable the relationship is between changes in symptom severity and HRQOL,” the investigators said.

Most participants (41.8 percent) in this study had moderate levels of stressful life events, while 39.2 percent had mild levels and 19.0 percent had severe levels of stressful life events. Symptom severity predicted HRQOL, and the level of stressful life events moderated the impact of symptom severity on HRQOL.

For instance, a severe level of stressful life events substantially affected the association between changes in symptom severity and HRQOL (Z, –3.048; p<0.01) compared with mild levels of stressful life events. Such finding persisted when comparing moderate and severe levels of stressful life events (Z, 1.810; p<0.10).

The investigators examined the relationship between changes in symptom severity and HRQOL, as well as the moderating role of stressful life events in IBS patients in this study, which was part of a cohort follow-up study on psychological factors in patients with IBS in tertiary care and included 158 patients.

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale was used to assess symptom severity and HRQOL, as well as stressful life events. The investigators then analysed the association between symptom severity and HRQOL and the moderating role of stressful life events in the 12 months prior to the follow-up assessment.