ArticleBMC gastroenterology2022
Maintaining work life under threat of symptoms: a grounded theory study of work life experiences in persons with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Article in BMC gastroenterology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk factors for developing irritable bowel syndrome: systematic umbrella review of reviews.BMC medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Observational
- Large language models and the future of gastroenterology: dissecting the biopolitics of data in a global health ecosystem.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- The Strategies Used to Balance Health and Work Across the Solid Organ Transplantation Trajectory.Progress in transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) · 2024Article
- Work productivity and activity impairment in disorders of gut-brain interaction: Data from the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study.United European gastroenterology journal · 2023Article
- Review
- Impact of Rome IV irritable bowel syndrome on work and activities of daily living.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIrritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a highly prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder. Earlier studies have shown that IBS can limit the ability to perform at work and lead to absenteeism. However, few studies focus on work life experiences based on patients' narratives. The purpose of this study was to construct a theory for how persons with IBS maintain their work life.
methodsA qualitative study was performed using constructivist grounded theory. Semi-structured interviews with 15 women and 8 men with IBS (26-64 years of age) were conducted. Fourteen participants worked full-time, six worked part-time and three were on sick leave. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded line-by-line, incident-by-incident and thereafter focused coding was done. From the data and codes, categories were generated. Finally, a core category was constructed explaining the process of maintaining work life when living with IBS.
resultsBalancing work life while being under threat of symptoms constituted of four categories, being prepared, restricting impact, reconciling and adjusting. Persons with IBS restricted the impact of IBS on work by using strategies and upholding daily routines and strived to being prepared by exerting control over work life. These ongoing processes served to limit the influence of IBS on work by symptoms being less intense, perceived as less frequent, or not as bothersome. Reconciling IBS with work life was understood as a successful outcome from being prepared and restricting impact but was also influenced by the individual's outlook on life. Adjusting to other people at work interfered with the strategies of being prepared, restricting impact, and reconciling, leaving persons with IBS more susceptible to symptoms.
conclusionsThis study deepens the understanding of the work situation for persons with IBS. Health care professionals can use the results of this study in the dialogue with the patient discussing work ability and sick leave. The results imply that although balancing work life under threat of symptoms can be a struggle, there are strategies that persons with IBS and employers together can initiate and use to reduce impact on work on several different levels.
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