Functional gastrointestinal disorders before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in schoolchildren and adolescents in la Habana, Cuba

Introduction: The prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in Latin American children according to Rome IV has been described in 21.2% in Colombia and in 22.3% in Ecuador;being the main FGIDs, the functional constipation, and functional dyspepsia. There are few studies that refer to the presence of FGIDs during the current Covid-19 pandemic. Objective: To determine the prevalence and possible risk factors for FGIDs in Cuban schoolchildren and adolescents before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: Observational prevalence-type study carried out in children between 10 and 15 years of age from Public Educational Institutions of La Habana, Cuba, who answered the Questionnaire for Pediatric Digestive Symptoms Rome IV Version (QPGS-IV) to identify FGIDs. Sociodemographic variables such as age, sex, race;nutritional such as overweight/obesity, malnutrition and altered height;perinatals such as caesarean section and prematurity;family as only child and first-born;clinics such as a history of previous dengue and overlap of FGIDs;such as separated/divorced parents and intra-family FGIDs. The statistics included univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyzes, with a statistically significant p<0.05. Results: 318 children of 11.7+/-1.2 years of age were included;70.4% schoolchildren between 10 and 12 years of age;50.6% of the masculine gender;42.3% of mixed race;46.9% overweight/obese;1.5% with undernutrition and altered height, respectively;47.8% born by cesarean section;11.6% premature;14.1% only children;44.6% firstborn;13.2% with a previous history of dengue;37.7% with separated/divorced parents;0.6% with intra-family TDF;3.1% with FGIDs overlap;61.3% interviewed during the Covid-19 pandemic. There was a prevalence for some FGIDs of 29.2% (pre Covid-19 28.4% vs during Covid-19 28.4% p=0.443), being the main FGIDs in order of frequency: functional constipation in 22.7%;functional dyspepsia in 3.5% and functional abdominal pain in 0.9%. The only possible risk factor was being female (OR=1.64 95%CI=0.97-2.75 p=0.0462). Conclusions: About a third of these children from Cuba, presented some FGIDs and functional constipation, being much higher than that reported in Colombia and Ecuador, without significant differences before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, being the only possible factor of risk, the female sex.