Psycho-gastroenterological profile of an Italian population of children with disorders of gut-brain interaction: A case-control study

Table 1 Epidemiological characteristics of patients and healthy controls

	Cases	Controls	P value
Total n	28	91
Males n (%)	18 (64,28)	9 (9.89)
Age, years (median and range)	14 (13-16)	16.5 (14-17)	Not significant
BMI, kg/m2 (mean ± SD)	21 ± 5	21 ± 3	Not significant

BMI: Body mass index.

Table 2 Level of digitalization of patients and healthy controls recruited in our study, n (%)

	Cases				Controls
Digitalization (h)	0-2	2-6	> 6		0-2	2-6	> 6
Personal computer	26 (100)	0	0		85 (97.70)	1 (1.14)	1 (1.14)
Internet	14 (53.84)	4 (15.38)	8 (30.76)		23 (26.43)	20 (22.98)	44 (50.57)
Mobile phone	10 (38.46)	12 (46.15)	4 (15.38)		9 (10.34)	23 (26.43)	55 (63.21)
Music	16 (61.53)	6 (23.07)	4 (15.38)		75 (86.20)	7 (8.04)	5 (5.74)
Social network	14 (53.84)	8 (30.76)	4 (15.38)		25 (28.73)	32 (36.78)	30 (34.48)

Table 3 Percentage of patients recruited in our study with pathological scores, n (%)

	Cases		Controls		P value
	Pathological score	Non-pathological score	Pathological score	Non-pathological score
STAI Y1	6 (21.42)	22 (78.57)	71 (78.02)	20 (21.97)	< 0.05
STAY Y2	12 (42.85)	16 (57.14)	67 (73.62)	24 (26.37)	< 0.05
TAS-20	4 (14.28)	24 (85.71)	22 (24.17)	69 (75.82)	< 0.05
APEN-G	18 (64.28)	10 (35.71)	80 (87.91)	11 (12.08)	< 0.05
APEP-G	18 (64.28)	10 (35.71)	57 (62.63)	34 (37.36)	Not significant

STAI Y: State-trait anxiety inventory Y; TAS-20: Toronto alexithymia scale.

Table 4 Comparison of scores between patients and healthy controls recruited in our study (mean ± SD)

	Cases	Controls	P value
GSCG	12.2 ± 8.1	6.9 ± 4.0	< 0.05
STAI Y-1	33.5 ± 12.1	48.6 ± 10.9	< 0.05
STAY Y-2	39.3 ± 10.7	47.4 ± 10.6	< 0.05
TAS-20	48.2 ± 8.0	51.8 ± 11.4	< 0.05
APEN-G	24.3 ± 6.8	22.1 ± 5.0	< 0.05
APEP-G	29.2 ± 2.9	28.8 ± 4.8	Not significant
IBS-QoL
Dysphoria	83.4 ± 12.8	96.3 ± 8.8	< 0.05
Interference with activity	73.2 ± 17.3	95.3 ± 8.4	< 0.05
Body image	87.0 ± 10.6	94.8 ± 9.4	< 0.05
Health worry	83.9 ± 14.5	93.6 ± 11.3	< 0.05
Food avoidance	66.0 ± 17.7	89.7 ± 17.5	< 0.05
Social reaction	81.2 ± 17.8	95.7 ± 9.6	< 0.05
Sexual	99.11 ± 3.2	98.9 ± 6.0	Not significant
Relationships	78.5 ± 21.2	96.3 ± 7.8	< 0.05
Overall	80.5 ± 12.0	95.2 ± 7.7	< 0.05

GSCG: Gastrointestinal symptoms rating scale; STAI Y: State-trait anxiety inventory Y; TAS-20: Toronto alexithymia scale; IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; QoL: Quality of life.