why choose us

300×250 Ad Slot

Research Article: Current Status and influencing factors of adolescents’ awareness of functional gastrointestinal disorders and health education needs: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Date Published: 2026-04-20

Abstract:
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are prevalent among teenagers, yet understanding of them is limited. This study aimed to evaluate adolescents’ awareness of FGIDs, identify factors influencing this awareness, and assess adolescents’ health education needs, thereby providing evidence for targeted health education strategies. A nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted from June to August 2024 assessed 1,612 adolescents aged 10–19 years. Despite the survey's broad scope, only 4.7% exhibited a systematic understanding of FGIDs, and merely 3.7% reported high familiarity, underscoring a pronounced knowledge deficit in this population. The majority of respondents (39.8%) were only familiar with it, while 25% had not heard of it. Marked disparities in awareness were identified based on growth environment, level of education, boarding status, caregiver type, personality traits, participation in social activities, and the experience of FGIDs by respondents or their contacts ( P <?0.05). The results demonstrate that teenagers typically possess limited awareness of FGIDs. It is advisable to formulate tailored health education tactics based on age, educational attainment, and living conditions to enhance knowledge dissemination, deepen comprehension, and elevate adolescents’ disease awareness and self-management skills.

Introduction:
Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) significantly impact a considerable number of teenagers worldwide, presenting as chronic or recurrent symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea without any structural pathology ( 1 ). In a multicountry pediatric survey, approximately 23.1% of children and adolescents satisfied the criteria for at least one FGID ( 2 ). These illnesses can adversely affect physical health, emotional well-being, academic achievement, and social…

Read more

300×250 Ad Slot