Date of Conferral

5-21-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Srikanta Banerjee

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of gut-brain interaction influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Stress and socioeconomic influences on IBS have been studied, however few studies have explored the impact of neighborhood and social environments across racial and ethnic groups and sex at birth. The biopsychosocial framework was used to examine whether built environment and social context contribute to IBS prevalence. A cross-sectional analysis of 80,874 participants from the All of Us Research Program was conducted to assess the associations between IBS and six neighborhood and social factors: safety, structure, cohesion, supportive relationships, social relationships, and perceived discrimination. Increased levels of loneliness and social isolation were associated with increased rates of IBS for most racial groups, with 3.3 times increase in odds of IBS (aOR = 3.27, 95% CI: 2.60–5.21, p < .0001) among Hispanics and 2.8 times for Blacks (aOR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.76–4.49, p < .0001) when adjusted for covariates. White males also showed increased rates of IBS with a decline in social relations (aOR = 2.74, 95% CI: 2.14–3.52, p < .0001). Increased experience of discrimination was significantly associated with increased rates of IBS for most populations, with the highest odds increase observed for Black males (aOR = 4.39, 95% CI: 1.58–12.24, p = .0046). Depression was identified as a potential mediator in these relationships. These findings underscore the importance of neighborhood and social factors in IBS prevalence and drive positive social change by targeted public health interventions to reduce disparities. Future research should explore longitudinal associations and develop interventions tailored to high-risk populations.

Download

Included in

Public Health Commons

Share

 
COinS