Gastrointestinal complaints by gender among outpatients attending gastroenterology clinics in 4 hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| Variable, n (%) | Female | Male | Total | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of complaints | ||||
| None | 2 (1.5) | 4 (1.3) | 6 (1.4) | 0.726 |
| Single | 81 (60.0) | 171 (56.4) | 252 (57.5) | |
| Multiple | 52 (38.5) | 128 (42.2) | 180 (41.1) | |
| GIT complaints | ||||
| Abdominal pain | 71 (52.6) | 182 (60.1) | 253 (57.8) | 0.144 |
| Heart burn | 34 (25.2) | 94 (31.0) | 128 (29.2) | 0.215 |
| Diarrhea or constipation | 31 (23.0) | 77 (25.4) | 108 (24.7) | 0.583 |
| Appetite or weight changes | 31 (23.0) | 66 (21.8) | 97 (22.1) | 0.783 |
| Nausea & vomiting | 22 (16.3) | 46 (15.2) | 68 (15.5) | 0.766 |
| Others | 24 (18.6) | 42 (14.5) | 66 (15.8) | 0.292 |
| Duration of complaints | ||||
| 1-4 weeks | 17 (13.8) | 54 (20.0) | 71 (18.1) | 0.027* |
| 1-11 months | 20 (16.3) | 70 (25.9) | 90 (22.9) | |
| 1-5 years | 62 (50.4) | 110 (40.7) | 172 (43.8) | |
| 6-30 years | 24 (19.5) | 36 (13.3) | 60 (15.3) | |
| Awareness of | ||||
| Current diagnosis | 76 (56.3) | 143 (47.2) | 219 (50.0) | 0.079 |
| Causes of current symptoms | 32 (23.9) | 79 (26.1) | 111 (25.4) | 0.627 |
| Diagnosis of | ||||
| Other medical diseases | 44 (32.8) | 76 (25.2) | 120 (27.5) | 0.098 |
| A psychiatric disease | 8 (6.0) | 17 (5.6) | 25 (5.7) | 0.894 |
| A serious disease in a family member | 28 (20.7) | 55 (18.2) | 83 (18.9) | 0.523 |
| Distress because of symptoms | ||||
| Significantly | 47 (34.8) | 122 (40.3) | 169 (38.6) | 0.748 |
| Average | 53 (39.3) | 111 (36.6) | 164 (37.4) | |
| Limited | 22 (16.3) | 43 (14.2) | 65 (14.8) | |
| Not at all | 13 (9.6) | 27 (8.9) | 40 (9.1) | |
| Worry from serious disease | ||||
| Significantly | 27 (20.0) | 54 (17.8) | 81 (18.5) | 0.772 |
| Average | 38 (28.1) | 81 (26.7) | 119 (27.2) | |
| Limited | 27 (20.0) | 74 (24.4) | 101 (23.1) | |
| Not at all | 43 (31.9) | 94 (31.0) | 137 (31.3) | |
| Impact on daily activities | ||||
| Significantly | 32 (23.7) | 78 (25.7) | 110 (25.1) | 0.964 |
| Average | 45 (33.3) | 102 (33.7) | 147 (33.6) | |
| Limited | 29 (21.5) | 68 (22.4) | 97 (21.9) | |
| Not sure | 7 (5.2) | 14 (4.6) | 21 (4.8) | |
| Not at all | 22 (16.3) | 41 (13.5) | 63 (14.4) |
↵* Significant gender-specific differences with p<0.05, GIT - gastrointestinal. Please note that all percentages are calculated based on available non-missing valid data