Fax +41 61 306 12 34 E-Mail karger@karger.ch www.karger.com Dig Dis 2006;24:342–347 DOI: 10.1159/000092887 Frequency of Functional Bowel Disorders among Healthy Volunteers in Mexico City Max Schmulson a, b Orianna Ortíz c Mariana Santiago-Lomeli a Gabriela Gutiérrez-Reyes a María Concepción Gutiérrez-Ruiz d Guillermo Robles-Díaz a, b Douglas Morgan e a Liver, Pancreas and Motility Laboratory (HIPAM), Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico-UNAM, b Gastroenterology Department, Clinica Lomas Altas S.C., c Department of Internal Medicine, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, and d Department of Health Sciences, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-UAM, Iztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico; e Division of Gastroenterology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C., USA frequent (10 vs. 3.7%). Differences according to occupa- tion included a higher prevalence of ulcer-like dyspepsia (p = 0.04), IBS-C (p = 0.018) and proctalgia fugax (p = 0.034) among students. Conclusions: This is the first study to use RII-MQ to determine the prevalence of FBD in urban Mexico. The prevalence of IBS was significant and is related to a number of factors, including the stress of living in an overpopulated city. Selection bias is likely operative. A community-based study is warranted. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel Introduction Previous limited studies utilizing the Manning criteria and the Rome I criteria suggest that irritable bowel syn- drome (IBS) has a prevalence that ranges between 17 and 20% in selected populations in Mexico [1]. Little is known about the prevalence of the functional bowel disorders (FBD) utilizing the Rome II criteria [2] . This classifica- tion groups the FBD in 6 categories based upon their anatomical region, with 21 total disorders. Furthermore, Key Words Functional bowel disorders, frequency  Functional bowel disorders, Mexico  Functional bowel disorders, Rome II criteria  Rome II Modular Questionnaire  Irritable bowel syndrome Abstract Background: The frequency of functional bowel disor- ders (FBD) in Mexico using the Rome II criteria is un- known. Methods: The Rome II Modular Questionnaire (RII-MQ) was translated into Spanish in coordination with the Rome Committee and their Latin American pro- gram. Volunteers were recruited by advertisement in Mexico City, and administered the RII-MQ. Results: The study population consisted of 324 healthy volunteers, with a mean age of 35.7; 66% were female. The most prevalent disorders were heartburn 35%, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) 35%, functional bloating 21%, proctalgia fugax 21%, and functional constipation 19%. Based on gender, IBS-C was 4 times more frequent in females than males (19 vs. 4.6%) and functional bloating 3 times more Dr. Max Schmulson Departamento de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Hospital General de México Doctor Balmis #148, Col. Doctores, CP 06726, Del. Cuahutemoc, México DF (Mexico) Tel. +52 5556 232 673, Fax +52 5556 232 669, E-Mail maxjulio@avantel.net © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel 0257–2753/06/0244–0342$23.50/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/ddi