Knowledge, attitude, and practice of healthcare professionals towards irritable bowel syndrome: a multicenter, cross-sectional study

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the gut brain interaction (DGBI) characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, affecting approximately 10% of adult populations worldwide. Comprehending the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals towards IBS may enhance patient care, leading to more accurate diagnoses and improved treatment, ultimately elevating the quality of life for IBS patients. This multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare professionals from 5 hospitals between June and August, 2023, utilizing a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 697 (92.1%) valid questionnaires were enrolled, with 499 (71.59%) females, and 358 (51.36%) being physicians. Their mean knowledge, attitudes, practices scores were 10.9 ± 9.57 (possible range: 0-30), 29.33 ± 3.39 (possible range: 7-35), and 35.67 ± 8.75 (possible range: 11-55), respectively. The structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated direct influence of knowledge on attitude (β = 0.195, P < 0.001) and practice (β = 0.410, P < 0.001). Additionally, attitudes were found to have a direct influence on practice (β = 0.607, P < 0.001). In addition, their KAP score varied with different gender, education, occupation, professional title, department, with families have IBS, years of work experience, and institution type (all P < 0.05). Healthcare professionals had inadequate knowledge, positive attitude and suboptimal practice towards IBS, which might be influenced by their sociodemographic characteristics.