Prevalence of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders with Abdominal Pain in Children Aged 8–17 Years: Cross-Sectional Study

Background. Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID), accompanied by abdominal pain, are among the most common gastrointestinal issues (GI) in pediatric practice. Despite the large number of epidemiological studies conducted on functional disorders of the GI in children, data on the actual prevalence of these conditions remain uncertain. This is due to the fact that different methods were used in different studies, which led to heterogeneous results.

The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence and study the structure of FGID occurring with abdominal pain among children aged 8–17 years.

Materials and methods. On the basis of the children’s polyclinic of the Dolgoprudny Central City Hospital, a cross-sectional study of the prevalence of FGID occurring with abdominal pain in children was conducted according to electronic medical records. Electronic medical records of children aged 8–17 years, whose main or concomitant diagnosis is functional dyspepsia, biliary dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome and functional abdominal pain, were selected. Based on the data obtained, the prevalence index was calculated, the structure, age and gender characteristics of FGID with abdominal pain in children aged 8–17 years were studied.

Results. The study involved 13,907 children aged 8 to 17 years inclusive. The prevalence of FGID with abdominal pain among schoolchildren of this age was 13.6%. When analyzing the structure, the authors revealed that functional dyspepsia is the most common form of digestive disorders in children in this age group. An analysis of the age distribution showed that the frequency of these disorders is higher in older children. These disorders are also prevalent in girls in most age groups.

Conclusion. The prevalence of FGID with abdominal pain in children aged 8 to 17 years corresponds to the literature data. Primary care physicians still have a number of difficulties when working with children suffering from FGIS with abdominal pain.

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