Introduction:

Pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders comprise a set of chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms, not explained by structural or biochemical abnormalities, with significant interference in the quality of life of the child and his/her family.

Objective:

Determine the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in adolescents.

Methods:

Observational, descriptive cross-sectional, prospective study with 318 adolescents belonging to the educational centers of Camilo Cienfuegos neighborhood, Habana del Este municipality, in the period between March 2020 and January 2021. The variables used were age, sex, personal history of dengue, family history of gastrointestinal disorders, firstborn, separated parents, only child, prematurity and birth by cesarean section. The questionnaire for pediatric digestive symptoms, based on the Rome IV criteria, was used.

Results:

A total of 93 students (29.2%) met the diagnostic criteria of Rome IV for some functional gastrointestinal disorder. A predominance of the female sex (34.3%) and the group of 10-12 years (30%) was found. Functional constipation was diagnosed in 22.7% of adolescents, followed by functional dyspepsia (3.5%).

Conclusions:

Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common in the studied adolescents. Functional constipation is the most common disorder. Functional gastrointestinal disorders occur significantly in female adolescents.

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