Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2012; 18(23): 3004-3007
Published online Jun 21, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i23.3004
Investigation of the effect of military stress on the prevalence of functional bowel disorders
Xian-Zhao Yu, Hai-Feng Liu, Zhen-Xue Sun
Xian-Zhao Yu, Hai-Feng Liu, Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Chinese People’s Armed Police Forces, Beijing 100039, China
Zhen-Xue Sun, Authorized Outpatient Service of Chinese People’s Armed Police Headquarters, Beijing 100089, China
Author contributions: Liu HF designed the study; Yu XZ, Liu HF and Sun ZX performed the research; Yu XZ contributed analytic tools; Yu XZ and Liu HF analyzed the data; Yu XZ wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Hai-Feng Liu, MD, Professor of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Chinese People’s Armed Police Forces, No. 69 Yongding Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100039, China. haifengliu333@163.com
Telephone: +86-10-57976547 Fax: +86-10-57976549
Received: March 21, 2011
Revised: March 1, 2012
Accepted: April 2, 2012
Published online: June 21, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the morbidity of functional bowel disorders (FBD) under military stress conditions in order to lay foundations for the prevention and treatment of this disease.

METHODS: Four hundred and fifty-seven soldiers who were assigned to specified services and 471 soldiers who were assigned to routine services were enrolled using cluster sampling, with the latter as a control group. They were surveyed using the Rome III FBD standard questionnaire. The FBD symptom questionnaire included FBD-related symptoms, severity, duration or attack time, and accompanying symptoms.

RESULTS: The morbidity of the military stress group (14.6%) was significantly higher than in the control group (9.98%) (χ2 = 4.585, P < 0.05). The incidence of smoking, abdominal pain and acid regurgitation (χ2 = 4.761, P < 0.05) as well as the ZUNG anxiety/depression scores (χ2 = 7.982, P < 0.01) were also significantly higher in the military stress group compared with the control group. ZUNG anxiety (χ2 = 11.523, P < 0.01) and depression (χ2 = 5.149, P < 0.05) scores were higher in the FBD group compared with the non-FBD group. The differences in the ZUNG self-rated anxiety and depression scales between the 2 groups were statistically significant (χ2 = 14.482, P < 0.01 and χ2 = 6.176, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The morbidity of FBD was higher under military stress conditions.

Keywords: Military stress; Functional bowel disorders; Soldier; Self-rating anxiety; Depression scale