Table 1 Effect of IBS on work productivity

Goodoory et al. (2022) [6]

United Kingdom

Rome IV

752 individuals with IBS (workers: 62%)

1) Among the employed individuals, 28.5, 85.6, and 81.8% reported absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall work impairment, respectively.

2) Among all participants, 91.0% reported activity impairment (home management: 29.3%, social leisure: 56.3%, private leisure: 27.5%, and maintaining close relationships: 27.0%).

3) Severe IBS, anxiety, depression, somatization, gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety, and decreased IBS-related QOL were associated with impairment of work and activities of daily living.

Dean et al. (2005) [8]

United States

Rome II

1,776 employees (IBS: 41%)

1) Employees with IBS had a 15% greater loss in work productivity because of gastrointestinal symptoms and lower health-related QOL than those without IBS.

2) IBS was associated with a 21% reduction in work productivity, equivalent to working < 4 d in a 5-d workweek.

Paré et al. (2006) [32]

Canada

Rome II

1,555 IBS patients (workers: 59.3%)

Patients reported 5.6, 31.4, and 34.6% absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall work productivity impairment, respectively.

Frändemark et al. (2018) [33]

Sweden

Rome III

525 IBS patients (workers: 70%)

1) Of the employed patients, 24.3 and 86.8% reported absenteeism and presenteeism because of IBS, respectively.

2) Gastrointestinal-specific anxiety was associated with absenteeism and overall work loss.

3) IBS severity was associated with presenteeism, overall work loss, and activity impairment.

DiBonaventura et al. (2011) [34]

United States

Rome II

789 patients with IBS-C (workers: 51%) and 789 healthy controls (workers: 56%)

IBS-C patients had a lower health-related QOL score and higher presenteeism, overall work impairment, and activity impairment scores.

Buono et al. (2017) [35]

United States

Rome II

1,102 individuals with IBS-D and 65,389 controls without IBS-D or inflammatory bowel disease (workers: 54%)

1) Individuals with IBS-D had a lower health-related QOL score and higher absenteeism, presenteeism, overall work productivity impairment, and activity impairment scores.

2) Individuals with IBS-D incurred an estimated $2,486 more in indirect costs.

Nilsson et al. (2021) [36]

Sweden

Rome III

2,648 participants (IBS: 11.9%)

Not all of them are workers.

1) In men, IBS was associated with middle-age and both IBS and gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with unemployment.

2) In women, IBS was associated with present smoking, and gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with former smoking and inversely associated with higher age and intermediate physical activity at work.

Silk et al. (2001) [38]

United Kingdom

-

1,597 IBS patients (workers: 44%)

1) Overall, 12 % of respondents gave up work altogether because of IBS, and although 47% of employed respondents reported having taken time off work, only 35% of those respondents cited IBS as a reason.

2) Employers who were informed of the diagnosis of IBS accepted this condition as a valid reason for absence from work in 61% of cases.

3) Overall, 53% employees suffered from embarrassment when using the restroom at work, and 32% reported that IBS prevents them from applying for promotions or new jobs.