Association of healthy lifestyle behaviours with incident irritable bowel syndrome: a large population-based prospective cohort study

Fai Fai Ho; Hui Sun; Hong Zheng; David C N Wong; Yin-Yan Gao; Chen Mao; Yin Ting Cheung; Chun Sing Lam; Maggie H Wang; Irene Xin-Yin Wu; Justin C Y Wu; Vincent C H Chung

doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331254

Association of healthy lifestyle behaviours with incident irritable bowel syndrome: a large population-based prospective cohort study

Gut. 2024 Feb 20:gutjnl-2023-331254. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331254. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
² Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
³ The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, Southern Medical University School of Public Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
⁵ School of Pharmacy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
⁶ Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China irenexywu@csu.edu.cn.
⁷ Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

PMID: 38378250
DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-331254

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the association between healthy lifestyle behaviours and the incidence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Design: Population-based prospective cohort study.

Setting: The UK Biobank.

Participants: 64 268 adults aged 37 to 73 years who had no IBS diagnosis at baseline were enrolled between 2006 and 2010 and followed up to 2022.

Main exposure: The five healthy lifestyle behaviours studied were never smoking, optimal sleep, high level of vigorous physical activity, high dietary quality and moderate alcohol intake.

Main outcome measure: The incidence of IBS.

Results: During a mean follow-up of 12.6 years, 961 (1.5%) incident IBS cases were recorded. Among the 64 268 participants (mean age 55.9 years, 35 342 (55.0%) female, 7604 (11.8%) reported none of the five healthy lifestyle behaviours, 20 662 (32.1%) reported 1 behaviour, 21 901 (34.1%) reported 2 behaviours and 14 101 (21.9%) reported 3 to 5 behaviours at baseline. The multivariable adjusted hazard ratios associated with having 1, 2 and 3 to 5 behaviours for IBS incidence were 0.79 (95% confidence intervals 0.65 to 0.96), 0.64 (0.53 to 0.78) and 0.58 (0.46 to 0.72), respectively (P for trend <0.001). Never smoking (0.86, 0.76 to 0.98, P=0.02), high level of vigorous physical activity (0.83, 0.73 to 0.95, P=0.006) and optimal sleep (0.73, 0.60 to 0.88, P=0.001) demonstrated significant independent inverse associations with IBS incidence. No significant interactions were observed between these associations and age, sex, employment status, geographic location, gastrointestinal infection, endometriosis, family history of IBS or lifestyle behaviours.

Conclusions: Adhering to a higher number of healthy lifestyle behaviours is significantly associated with a lower incidence of IBS in the general population. Our findings suggest the potential of lifestyle modifications as a primary prevention strategy for IBS.

Keywords: IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME.