Transcultural Differences in the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Dan L. Dumitrascu, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Background and aim: the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder. There are important geographical differences in the reporting of IBS. These could be caused by diverging psychosocial factors. We looked for intercultural differences in pychosocial factors in IBS, between various areas of the world. Methods. Search of all comparative transcultural factors in IBS have been undertaken. A systematic review will be presented. We present also data from several transcultural studies on IBS and of comparative studies undertaken in recent years by our group in cooperation with international teams. Results. Several studies showed important differences between psychosocial factors across nations and continents. Thus, in postcommunist societies, higher scores for anxiety or catastrophization have been observed. There are also dramatic differences in the reporting of sexual abuse in non-Western nations, considering abuse an important factor predisposing to hypersensitivity in IBS. Conclusions. Differences between cultures may be observed in IBS patients from various areas of the world. Some psychosocial factors are more represented in posttotalitarian countries and abuse is less reported in more patriarchal societies.