Gastrointestinal Symptoms in New York City College Students: The Influence of GI-Specific Anxiety, Adversity, and Sociodemographic Differences

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period characterized by physiological and psychosocial vulnerabilities that may increase susceptibility to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and disorders. Stress during this time can disrupt gut-brain communication, exacerbating GI distress and associated health risks. Gender and race/ethnicity are also associated with GI symptom presentation and pain perception, yet these factors remain understudied. This study examines GI symptoms (Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale), GI-specific anxiety (Visceral Sensitivity Index), and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in a diverse, non-medical college sample, exploring discernable differences among gender and racial/ethnic identities for key variables. The study included 1364 participants who were on average approximately 20 years old, recruited from five four-year colleges within a large public university system in New York City, completed an online survey. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), a multivariate technique, was used to identify patterns across categorical variables. MCA results showed that all GI symptoms were associated with GI-specific anxiety but were mostly unrelated to ACEs. Males and transgender females had significantly less GI symptoms and GI-specific anxiety compared to females and gender non-conforming participants. Participants who identified as White had significantly more GI symptoms and GI-specific anxiety compared to those who identified as Black. This work underscores the need for better recognition and intervention given the substantial burden of GI discomfort experienced by a sizable portion of this emerging adult sample, the strong link between GI-specific anxiety and symptoms, and differences in burden by gender and race/ethnicity.