Background/Aims: Despite huge evidence on the link between adherence to dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) eating pattern and several metabolic abnormalities, the association of this diet with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has not been investigated so far. We aim to examine the association between adherence to the DASH diet and prevalence of IBS symptoms and subtypes in adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done among 3362 adult people in Isfahan, Iran. Usual dietary intakes were assessed using a validated 106-item dish-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. To investigate participants’ adherence to DASH-style diet, we created DASH score based on 8 main foods and nutrients emphasized or minimized in the DASH diet. Participants were classified into 3 categories according to their DASH-style diet scores. A validated modified Persian version of the Rome III questionnaire was applied for assessment of IBS. Results: Totally, 22.2% of study participants were affected by IBS. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, we found that participants in the highest tertile of DASH score had lower odds of IBS (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.50-0.83) compared with those in the lowest tertile. The same findings were also reached for IBS with constipation (OR for the highest vs the lowest tertile of DASH-style diet = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38-0.85). No significant association was seen between adherence to DASH-style diet and IBS with diarrhea (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.83-2.06). Conclusions We found a significant inverse association between adherence to DASH dietary pattern and odds of IBS and IBS with constipation.Further prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.

Background/Aims: Accumulating evidence based on a few studies suggests a relationship between depression and functional constipation. This study examined whether depression is associated with a higher risk of functional constipation and whether it is gender specific. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 3,362 adults aged 18-55 years. In this study, functional gastrointestinal symptoms were determined using an Iranian reliable and valid version of the modified Rome III questionnaire. The Iranian validated version of the hospital anxiety and depression scale was used to evaluate the psychological health. Scores of eight or more on the depression subscale in the questionnaire were considered the presence of depression. Simple and multiple binary logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: The mean±SD age of participants was 36.29±7.87 years, and 58.5% were female. The prevalence of depression and constipation in the study sample was 28.6% and 23.9%, respectively. In the full adjusted model, in the total sample, depressed people showed a significantly higher risk of constipation; adjusted OR (AOR), 1.69 (95% CI, 1.37-2.09). Although a significant association was observed between depression and constipation in both genders, the association was stronger in men than women (AOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.50, 3.63 vs. AOR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.21, 1.99). Conclusions These study findings showed that depressed people are at a significantly higher risk of being affected by constipation. The current study findings justify the importance of mental health evaluations in all patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, particularly among constipated individuals.