PD366 - PREVALENCE OF DGBI IN NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND UNITED KINGDOM – A SCOPING REVIEW

PD366

PREVALENCE OF DGBI IN NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND UNITED KINGDOM – A SCOPING REVIEW

S. Bayer^1,*, J. Miller²

¹Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, ²Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Rationale: Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) are widespread with limited treatment options and a high burden on individuals, society, and health systems. In New Zealand (NZ), patients with DGBI face increasing barriers to healthcare access. This scoping review investigated DGBI prevalence and economic burden across NZ, Australia, and the United Kingdom (UK), comparing the three countries and their healthcare usage.

Methods: Searches were conducted in Ovid Embase and PubMed on December 10, 2025, combining disorder terminology (DGBI, functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and related conditions) with prevalence outcome terms, restricted to NZ, the UK, and Australia. After screening 813 records, 51 studies were included. Extracted data included study design, sample characteristics, diagnostic criteria (Manning or Rome I–IV), and prevalence estimates

Results: Evidence for DGBI prevalence in NZ is sparse, with only four studies identified; the most recent from 2002 reported IBS prevalence of 4.3% (Rome II), leaving a 24-year evidence gap with no current national data. The UK and Australia had substantially more evidence across 31 studies (1992–2025). Based on the global Rome IV Survey (which excluded NZ), total DGBI prevalence was 36.7% in the UK and 37.7% in Australia, encompassing bowel (~29%), gastroduodenal (~10%), anorectal (~7%), and oesophageal disorders (~7%). A UK post-pandemic resurvey indicated prevalence had since increased, highlighting the likely underestimation in NZ.

Conclusion: The absence of contemporary population-level prevalence data in NZ makes it impossible to determine the true DGBI burden, particularly given the lack of ethnicity-stratified data for Māori. Until this foundational work is undertaken, meaningful health system planning and equitable resource allocation remain out of reach.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared