Pictograms to assess bloating and distension symptoms in the general population in Mexico: Results of The Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study.

There is no term for bloating in Spanish and distension is a very technical word. "Inflammation"/"swelling" are the most frequently used expressions for bloating/distension in Mexico, and pictograms are more effective than verbal descriptors (VDs) for bloating/distension in general GI and Rome III-IBS patients. However, their effectiveness in the general population and in subjects with Rome IV-DGBI is unknown. We analyzed the use of pictograms for assessing bloating/distension in the general population in Mexico. The Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study (RFGES) in Mexico (n = 2001) included questions about the presence of VDs "inflammation"/"swelling" and abdominal distension, their comprehension, and pictograms (normal, bloating, distension, both). We compared the pictograms with the Rome IV question about the frequency of experiencing bloating/distension, and with the VDs. "Inflammation"/"swelling" was reported by 51.5% and distension by 23.8% of the entire study population; while 1.2% and 25.3% did not comprehend "Inflammation"/"swelling" or distension, respectively. Subjects without (31.8%) or not comprehending "inflammation"/"swelling"/distension (68.4%) reported bloating/distension by pictograms. Bloating and/or distension by the pictograms were much more frequent in those with DGBI: 38.3% (95%CI: 31.7-44.9) vs. without: 14.5% (12.0-17.0); and in subjects with distension by VDs: 29.4% (25.4-33.3) vs. without: 17.2% (14.9-19.5). Among subjects with bowel disorders, those with IBS reported bloating/distension by pictograms the most (93.8%) and those with functional diarrhea the least (71.4%). Pictograms are more effective than VDs for assessing the presence of bloating/distension in Spanish Mexico. Therefore, they should be used to study these symptoms in epidemiological research. © 2023 The Authors. Neurogastroenterology & Motility published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Citation

Max J Schmulson, Aurelio López-Colombo, Alvaro Montiel Jarquin, Gerardo A Puentes-Leal, Olafur S Palsson, Shrikant I Bangdiwala, Ami D Sperber. Pictograms to assess bloating and distension symptoms in the general population in Mexico: Results of The Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study. Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society. 2023 Jun;35(6):e14577

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PMID: 37010874

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