Review for 10.1186/s12876-017-0698-2 (2017)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Prevalence, risk factors in an adult Lebanese population  
 
Version: 0 Date: 16 Sep 2017  
 
Reviewer: antonio bove  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Methods  
 
- The methodology should be described in more detail. The questionnaire, including the 
screening question, should appe ar in the paper.  Moreover, the results show a greater 
incidence of food intolerance in IBS: this aspect does not appear in the methodology (and 
it is not resumed in the discussion)  
 
 
- I would consider it necessary to specify why IBS subtypes have not been defined. An 
explanation could also be that the questionnaire did not report the possible intake of 
medication to treat IBS  
 
 
 
Results  
 
- I would recommend to evaluate if there is any difference in the following three subgroups 
: (a) alchol + water pipe; (b) a lcohol only; (c) water pipe only. This aspect is interesting 
since, as you claim, water pipe smoking is spreading in the Western world and the 
alcoholic beverages are consumed in coffee shops. The alcohol -water pipes association 
could go far beyond the bor ders of Lebanon  
 
 
Table 1. The sample is 553 subjects. The total number of subjects, age -grouped, is 519 (?!?). The 
total number of subjects, separated educational level, is 545 (?!?)  
 
 
Table 2  
 
The total number of subjects with regard to alcohol and physical activity is 552, food intolerance 
is 551. The percentages of physical activity in IBS subjects should be reversed: N.71 = 19.9%, 
N. 40 = 20.4%  Cigarette smoke. The percentage of males is diff erent in the results (56.4%) (page 
9) and in the discussion (57.9%) (page 12)  
 
Reference 24 does not seem appropriate  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify whi ch controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you  recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please in dicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financia l competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
   
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