# Painful Disorders of Gut‐Brain Interaction Are More Associated With Worse Health‐Related Quality of Life and Psychological Disorders Than Non‐Painful Disorders in Latin American Countries

## TL;DR

Painful gut-brain disorders are linked to worse quality of life and more psychological issues than non-painful ones in Latin America.

## Contribution

This study is the first to compare HRQoL and psychological outcomes between painful and non-painful gut-brain disorders in Latin America.

## Key findings

- Painful DGBI individuals sought healthcare more frequently than non-painful DGBI individuals.
- Painful DGBI was associated with significantly lower HRQoL and higher psychological distress scores.
- These associations remained significant after adjusting for demographic factors.

## Abstract

Disorders of gut‐brain interaction (DGBI) are associated with reduced health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological disorders. Among individuals with DGBI, abdominal pain correlates with increased healthcare‐seeking and analgesic use. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of pain as a cardinal symptom on HRQoL and psychological disorders.

This is a sub‐analysis of data from four Latin American countries included in the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study (RFGES). DGBI were classified into (1) painful DGBI, including individuals with diagnoses characterized by pain as a primary symptom, and (2) non‐painful DGBI, including individuals with only non‐painful diagnoses. Prevalence rates, healthcare‐seeking behavior, HRQoL (Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global‐10 [PROMIS Global‐10]), anxiety and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire‐4 [PHQ‐4]) and somatization (Patient Health Questionnaire‐12 [PHQ‐12]) were compared.

A total of 8069 participants from the four countries completed the RFGES online survey, including 1132 in the painful group and 1720 in the non‐painful group. Participants with painful DGBI more commonly sought healthcare at least monthly compared to those with non‐painful disorders (18.6% vs. 14.9%). Painful disorders were associated with significantly lower HRQoL scores and higher PHQ‐4 and PHQ‐12 scores, both in unadjusted and adjusted analyses (sex, age, education, and community size).

In four Latin American countries, individuals with painful DGBI were more likely to seek healthcare, had worse HRQoL and exhibited greater psychological distress compared to those with non‐painful DGBI. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions for individuals with painful DGBI symptoms.

To investigate the relevance of the clinical variable pain in healthcare‐seeking behavior among individuals with painful and non‐painful DGBI and to evaluate its impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological disorders in the four Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico) that were included in the RFGES. Individuals with painful DGBI seek medical care more frequently and exhibit worse quality of life and higher psychological symptom scores compared to those with non‐painful disorders.