The association between meal and snack frequency and irritable bowel syndrome

Objective: The relationship between daily meal and snack frequency with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was less investigated in the literature. We aimed to evaluate this association with IBS symptoms. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: This investigation was performed in Isfahan, a large province in the centre of Iran. Individuals were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire to quantify the numbers of daily main meals (one, two or three), snacks (never, 1-2, 3-5 or >5) and the total of them (<3, 3-5, 6-7 or >= 8). IBS and its subtypes were diagnosed according to Rome SIC criteria. Participants: General adults (n 4669, 2063 men and 2606 women). Results: The prevalence of IBS was 18 center dot 6 % in males and 24 center dot 1 % in females. Individuals consuming three main meals had 30 % decreased risk of IBS (OR 0 center dot 70, 95 % CI 0 center dot 52, 0 center dot 94) compared with those with one main meal in the crude model. After adjustments for all potential confounders this relation disappeared (OR 0 center dot 67, 95 % CI 0 center dot 43, 1 center dot 03). Gender-specified analysis revealed that women consuming three main meals per day had 32 % decreased likelihood of having IBS symptoms compared with one daily main meal takers (OR 0 center dot 68, 95 % CI 0 center dot 47, 0 center dot 99). This relation remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders (OR 0 center dot 56, 95 % CI 0 center dot 36, 0 center dot 89). A decreased likelihood of IBS in the highest category of main meal consumption compared with the lowest one was found in obese or overweight subjects (OR 0 center dot 54, 95 % CI 0 center dot 32, 0 center dot 91), after adjustment for all confounders. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that there was no significant relation between main meal or snack frequency and IBS in Iranian adults, but a small inverse association was found among females and overweight/obese individuals in subgroup analysis. Further prospective studies are needed confirming these associations.

Automated summary

The study found that there was no significant relationship between main meal or snack frequency and IBS in Iranian adults, but a small inverse association was found among females and overweight/obese individuals in the subgroup analysis. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these associations.