Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the dietary supplement (DS) use in gastrointestinal symptom management, and its effect on hopelessness levels in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The universe of this cross-sectional study consisted of 132 patients presenting at the polyclinic, while the sample consisted of 127 patients who meet the inclusion criteria to study. Data were collected using a patient identification form including sociodemographic characteristics and DS use, the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The frequency of DS use in the last year among patients with IBS was 73.2%. Younger, women, those with graduate education, and those with better economic status were found to prefer more DS (P < .0001). Nausea and decreased passage of stools were predictors of DS use with a rate of 40.9% (R2 = 0.409, P < .0001). The patients were found to use mint oil (35.6%), mint juice (24.6%), lemon (20.5%) for nausea, and apricots (48.2%) and dietary fibers (16.9%) for decreased passage of stools. Patients who did not use DSs were found to be more hopeless (P < .03). It was found that 73.2% of patients with IBS used DSs. Patients who did not use DSs were found to be more hopeless. DSs with proven effectiveness can be integrated into medical treatments.