Table 3.
Relative risk (RR) of IBS symptoms in women versus men in both the general and IBS patient populations
| General Population | IBS Only | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RR favoring women (95% CI) | N of studies | Heterogeneity | RR favoring women (95% CI) | N of studies | Heterogeneity | |
| IBS Diagnostic Symptoms | ||||||
| Pain | 1.12 (1.02,1.22)* | 5 | P<0.001 | N/A | 1 | |
| Pain relieved with defecation | 1.13 (0.97,1.31) | 6 | P<0.001 | 1.00 (0.80,1.25) | 5 | P=0.012 |
| Pain associated with change in frequency | 1.08 (1.03,1.14)* | 6 | P=0.005 | N/A | 1 | |
| Pain associated with change in form | 1.12 (1.02,1.23)* | 6 | P<0.001 | 0.96 (0.82,1.12) | 4 | P=0.69 |
| Supportive Symptoms | ||||||
| Distension | N/A | 2 | 1.29 (1.06,1.56)* | 5 | P=0.002 | |
| Bloating | 1.12 (1.01,1.25)* | 9 | P<0.001 | 1.37 (1.16,1.61)* | 6 | P=0.028 |
| Incomplete Evacuation | 1.03 (0.93,1.13) | 6 | P<0.001 | 1.15 (0.97,1.37) | 7 | P=0.300 |
| Infrequent stools | 1.06 (0.99,1.14) | 5 | P<0.001 | 1.13 (1.08,1.18)* | 6 | P=0.387 |
| Lumpy/Hard stools | 0.98 (0.88,1.10) | 4 | P<0.001 | 1.21 (1.08,1.36)* | 5 | P=0.089 |
| Straining | 1.12 (1.03,1.23)* | 4 | P<0.001 | 1.01 (0.93,1.09) | 5 | P=0.284 |
| Mucus | 1.02 (0.97,1.07) | 5 | P<0.001 | 1.07 (0.96,1.19) | 8 | P=0.002 |
| Urgency | 1.02 (0.93,1.11) | 4 | P<0.001 | 1.04 (0.95,1.15) | 6 | P=0.249 |
| Loose/Watery stools | 0.97 (0.92,1.01) | 5 | P=0.002 | 0.84 (0.75,0.94)* | 5 | P=0.420 |
| Frequent stools | 1.00 (0.98,1.01) | 4 | P=0.635 | 0.88 (0.80,0.96)* | 5 | P=0.014 |
Abbreviations: RR: relative risk; CI: confidence interval; N= number; N/A: Not applicable due to insufficient number of studies to perform meta-analysis.
*
P < 0.05