Cureus. 2025 Aug 16;17(8):e90248. doi: 10.7759/cureus.90248. eCollection 2025 Aug.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of fecal incontinence (FI) among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its associated factors is not well-studied. This research estimated the prevalence of FI in Swiss IBD patients, identified risk factors, and assessed its relationship with well-being, anxiety, and depression.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on adult IBD patients at a Swiss clinic in Bern and Fribourg. The study excluded individuals with a stoma, J-pouch, or unspecified IBD. The survey included 53 questions on demographic and clinical variables. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS: Among 392 respondents, 116 patients (29.5%) reported FI in the previous four weeks. FI was associated with age > 50 years (OR 2.74), vaginal delivery (OR 2.49), disease duration > 15 years (OR 2.04), abdominal pain (OR 2.56), diarrhea (OR 3.70), blood in stool (OR 3.33), >3 bowel movements/day (OR 4.50), nighttime bowel movements (OR 3.98), simple clinical colitis activity index (SCCAI) ≥ 3 (OR 6.06), extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) (OR 1.64), and a history of anal fistula (OR 2.80). FI was significantly associated with poor well-being (OR 2.64), depression (OR 2.43), and anxiety (OR 1.88).
CONCLUSION: FI affects nearly one in three IBD patients and is independently associated with several disease-related factors including a history of anal fistula and the presence of EIM, which is newly described in the literature. FI negatively impacted quality of life, increasing anxiety and depression. These findings emphasize the importance of a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to identify and address risk factors promptly.
PMID:40964596 | PMC:PMC12439437 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.90248
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