Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Nutrients

Publication Date

10-1-2022

Abstract

Vitamin D may be associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathways. This cross-sectional study evaluated the associations between serum Vitamin D and IBS symptoms in a sample of Lebanese adults. Participants (n = 230; mean (SD) age: 43.36 (16.05) years, 62.9% females) were adults, free of diseases affecting Vitamin D metabolism, and recruited from a large university and the surrounding community. Serum Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) was assessed using an automated chemiluminescence micro-particle immunoassay kit. The Birmingham IBS Symptom Questionnaire total scale, and pain, constipation, and diarrhea subscales were used to study IBS symptoms. Four linear regression analyses were performed, taking respectively the total scale and each of the subscales as the dependent variable. Vitamin D was forced into each model. Covariates included sociodemographic and medical variables, fluid intake, physical activity, sleep quality, stress, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Mean (SD) serum Vitamin D was 17.53 (12.40) ng/mL and mean (SD) Birmingham IBS Symptom Questionnaire was 16.98 (15.16) (pain: 20.75 (23.63), constipation: 25.06 (29.99), diarrhea: 9.88 (13.37)). Serum Vitamin D was not associated with the total score, nor with any of the subscales (p > 0.05 for the four regression analyses). Serum Vitamin D was not associated with IBS symptoms in a sample of Lebanese adults, adding to the controversy in this field. Further understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in Vitamin D and IBS is warranted.

ISSN

2072-6643

Publisher

MDPI AG

Volume

14

Issue

19

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Keywords

adults, irritable bowel syndrome, Lebanon, Vitamin D

Scopus ID

85139750544

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series

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