Gender differences in gastrointestinal, biopsychosocial and healthcare-seeking behaviors in Chinese patients with irritable bowel syndrome predominant with diarrhea

Table 5 Healthcare-seeking behaviors of male and female patients with IBS-D

Variables	Male (n = 299) (95% CI)	Female (n = 191) (95% CI)	P value
In the whole disease course
Consultations per year^†	3.0 (5.5) (4.2–7.9)	5.0 (8.0) (4.7–10.4)	0.016*
Visit in tertiary hospitals (%)	166 (55.5) (49.9–61.2)	103 (53.4) (46.8–61.1)	0.646
Colonoscopies^‡	1.0 (1.0) (1.3–1.8)	1.0 (1.0) (1.2–1.9)	0.186
In the last year
Consultations^†	3.0 (3.5) (4.2–7.8)	3.0 (8.0) (4.5–10.2)	0.157
Medications (intermittent, long-term use) (%)	163 (54.5) (48.8–60.2)	111 (58.1) (51.1–65.2)	0.434
Average medical cost per year (RMB yuan)	3000.0 (7749.8) (4298.4–7447.0)	4000.0 (5000.0) (3632.4-6881.9)	0.878
Overall satisfaction to medical care (%)	100 (33.4) (28.1–38.8)	62 (32.5) (25.8–39.2)	0.821

Data presented as mean ± standard deviation or number (%) (95% CI). Student’s t-test and chi-square test. ^†Consultations were average consultations of consulters. ^‡Colonoscopies were average colonoscopies of patients who performed colonoscopies. *P < 0.05. IBS-D, irritable bowel syndrome predominant with diarrhea; CI, confidence interval

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