The effect of self-management online modules plus nurse-led support on pain and quality of life among young adults with irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: International journal of nursing studies 2022-08, Vol.132, p.104278-104278, Article 104278
• Main Authors: Chen, Jie, Zhang, Yiming, Barandouzi, Zahra Amirkhanzadeh, Lee, Joochul, Zhao, Tingting, Xu, Wanli, Chen, Ming-Hui, Feng, Bin, Starkweather, Angela, Cong, Xiaomei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chronic Pain; Humans; Irritable bowel syndrome; Irritable Bowel Syndrome - therapy; Nurse's Role; Nursing support; Online education; Pain; Quality of Life; Self-Management; Symptom; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0020-7489; 1873-491X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2022.104278

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic pain condition that needs life-long self-management. However, the effect of self-management among young adults with irritable bowel syndrome is limited. This study aimed to examine the effect of a nurse-led self-management program on pain, symptoms, and quality of life among young adults with irritable bowel syndrome. A randomized controlled trial. Eighty young adults with irritable bowel syndrome recruited from two campuses of a public university and two gastrointestinal clinics were randomly assigned into a self-management online education and learning modules alone group (Online Modules, n = 41) or a nurse-led one-to-one consultation plus self-management online education and learning modules group (Nurse-Led Online Modules, n = 39). Twenty-one healthy controls were also recruited from these two campuses. Both the intervention groups received ten online modules after baseline data collection. Participants in the Nurse-Led Online Modules group received additional three nurse-led one-to-one consultations at baseline, 6- and 12-week follow-ups. Self-reported pain, symptoms, quality of life, self-efficacy for managing chronic disease, and coping were measured at baseline, and 6- and 12-week follow-ups among the participants with irritable bowel syndrome. The healthy controls completed data collection of pain and symptoms at baseline and the 12-week follow-up. The intervention effects across study time points and the comparisons between the two interventional groups were analyzed using linear mixed models. A longitudinal mediation analysis was also conducted to explore the mediation effects of self-management mechanisms of the interventions. Both the intervention groups showed significant interventional effects on decreasing pain intensity and pain interference and increasing quality of life at the 12-week follow-up (all p