Assessment of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children With Asthma

The aim of the study was to evaluate prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) in children with asthma and to determine the relationship between FGID and asthma control and anxiety. Two hundred fifty children aged 6 to 18 years with asthma were enrolled in this single-center study. The FGID screening questionnaire, an asthma control test, and the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) were applied to the patients. A significant difference was observed only in the rate of anxiety in children with FGID in the 6 to 11 age group. The incidence of FGID in girls was found to be higher than that in boys in the 12 to 18 age group (<i>P</i> = .015). While a statistically significant difference was found between FGID and asthma control in cases between the ages of 12 to 18 (<i>P</i> = .001), no difference was observed in the 6 to 11 age group. The prevalence of FGID is high in children with asthma, especially in adolescence.