PURPOSE This study was performed to examine the frequency of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), perceived stress, and mental health among community-dwelling women. METHODS This study conducted a survey to collect data on 869 women in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The measurements included the Rome III criteria(to diagnose IBS), the Global Assessment Recent Stress(GARS scale to evaluate perceived stress), and symptom check list 90R(SCL-90R to evaluate psychological distress). Data were analyzed using SPSS 15.0 program by frequency, chi-square -tests, t-test, and analysis of variance(ANOVA). RESULTS The frequency of IBS in women was 15.1%. Eighty-six women(65.6%) had mixed constipation and diarrhea subtype of IBS. Compared to the women without IBS, those with IBS reported significantly higher scores on GARS, all subscales of GARS, SCL-90R, all subscales of SCL-90R, and the global severity index(GSI). No significant differences were observed among stress, mental health, and the IBS subtypes. CONCLUSION Nursing interventions targeting women with IBS should be developed in order to reduce the associated stress and psychological distress.
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