The Relationship Between State and Trait Anxiety and Gastrointestinal Symptoms During COVID-19

OBJECTIVES: To determine 1) the relationships between gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and State and Trait anxiety in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2) sex differences in GI symptoms and State and Trait anxiety. METHODS: College students (n = 459; aged 18–23) at a midwestern university completed an online survey in mid-April 2020, which included the State and Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA) and an amended Gastrointestinal Symptoms Questionnaires. Spearman rho correlation coefficients and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The overall sample reported a mean of 5.61(5.43) of GI symptoms. Moderate to severe symptoms of abdominal bloating (31.8%), nausea (16.2%), passing gas (29.1%), abdominal rumbling (28.1%), abdominal cramping (20.4%), diarrhea (18.8%), and constipation (14.7%) were reported in participants. Females had greater GI symptoms compared to males (Females: 6.16 ± 5.39; Males: 4.01 + 4.46; U = 15108.00; P < .001). Females also exhibited higher total State (females: 40.60 + 12.79; males: 35.24 + 11.69; U = 15348.5; P < .001) and Trait (Females: 31.26 + 9.99; Males: 28.52 + 7.59: U = 16218.5; P < .001) anxiety scores compared to males. Higher GI symptoms were significantly related to higher State-Cognitive (r(s) = .476; P < .01); State-Somatic (r(s) = .525; P < .01); Trait-Cognitive (r(s) = .367; P < .01); and Trait-Somatic (r(s) = .500; P < .01) anxiety subscales scores. CONCLUSIONS: GI symptoms and anxiety were prominent in our sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. Females exhibited higher GI symptoms and State and Trait anxiety compared to males. GI symptoms were positively correlated with State and Trait anxiety. It may be warranted to screen individuals, especially females, for anxiety when presenting with GI symptoms. FUNDING SOURCES: None