school toilets and IBS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Impact of school toilet facilities on subsequent development of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in 18 - 50 year olds
IRAS ID
281373
Contact name
Richard Penketh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
Impact of school toilet facilities on subsequent development of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in subjects aged 18-50 :
It has been estimated that 17% of the general UK population suffer from IBS. Many of these patients have constipation dominant IBS which may be associated with holding on behaviour learned at school that carries on into adult life. It was noticed in women’s health clinics that many women presenting with abdominal pain, who in fact had IBS, reported holding on behaviours at school. I want to investigate this further by designing and distributing questionnaires to see if there is a link between the avoidance of school toilets in childhood and the emergence of IBS in women and men.
If such a link could be proved, we could take this information further to various authorities to improve school toilet facilities with the aim of reducing the incidence of IBS in adulthood.
I will distribute these questionnaires to women and men aged 18-50 who are waiting for their appointments in the hospital and community such as in family planning, gastroenterology, antenatal and gynaecology clinics. Thus, the study will be carried out across multiple sites over a period of six weeks.
After giving their implied consent, all the participant has to do is fill out the questionnaire and return it back to the appointment desk. These questionnaires will be completely anonymous with no patient identifiable information.
I will then collect all questionnaires and identify the data and analyse using logistic regression to see if there is a trend.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
21/WA/0193
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion