Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40445425›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of nutrition2025

A focus group study to assess perspectives of patients with irritable bowel syndrome on human milk oligosaccharides and lifestyle insights.

Patricia Sanz Morales, A Wijeyesekera, M D Robertson, J Kennedy, G Major, C L Boulangé, G R Gibson

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Patricia Sanz MoralesDepartment of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH, UK. p.sanzmorales@pgr.reading.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0719-2282
A WijeyesekeraDepartment of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH, UK.
M D RobertsonDepartment of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK.
J KennedyDepartment of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH, UK.
G MajorNestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société Produits Nestlé, Route du Jorat 57 Vers-chez-les-Blanc 1000, Lausanne 26, Switzerland.
C L BoulangéNestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société Produits Nestlé, Route du Jorat 57 Vers-chez-les-Blanc 1000, Lausanne 26, Switzerland.
G R GibsonDepartment of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AH, UK.

Funding

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Ref: BB/T008776/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo explore the impact of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) on quality of life (QoL) measures, with specific focus on symptoms experienced and their impact upon diet, lifestyle, and mood. Insights into triggers of IBS flare-ups and the potential barriers to the use of prebiotics, in particular human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), will be used to inform the design of a prospective human dietary intervention trial.

methodFive virtual focus groups were held between March 2022 and January 2023. Thirteen females and eleven males were recruited around Berkshire, UK and through social media to attend a single, same-sex focus group. Thematic analysis of transcripts was undertaken. Themes were organised using a semantic coding tree.

resultsLow QoL in IBS was apparent. Triggers which resulted in worsening symptoms or flares discussed by the groups were all consistent with well-recognised triggers for IBS in the literature and clinical practice. Few participants (6 out of 24) had tried biotic-based therapies (e.g. probiotics, prebiotics) and knew little to nothing about HMOs.

conclusionsIndividuals with IBS could be made more aware of novel therapy options such as prebiotic HMOs which may improve IBS symptoms.

Indexed as

Irritable Bowel SyndromeLife StyleMilk, HumanOligosaccharidesAdultDietFemaleFocus GroupsHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrebioticsQuality of LifeOligosaccharidesPrebioticsFocus groupHuman milk oligosaccharidesIrritable bowel syndromeQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID40445425
PMCPMC12125084

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.