ABSTRACT
Survey research methods are used increasingly to study the functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. The nature and characteristics of these disorders make them especially amenable to study with survey research methodologies. First and foremost, the diagnosis of functional GI disorders is currently made based on symptom criteria, not by structural or biochemical abnormalities that can be empirically observed. While the Rome criteria have not been completely validated, they at least provide a common reference point for use in survey research in the functional GI disorders. Provisions for ongoing modification of the Rome diagnostic criteria make them a living document subject to continuous scrutiny and refinement. Many earlier studies that sought to establish estimates of the prevalence of the functional GI disorders were limited in scope. These surveys incorporated samples that were often lacking in demographic range.
