Profiling Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

by Client Services

12 million adults say they have or have had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in the last 12 months, according to the 2015 MARS Consumer Health Study. Of the 68% of adults who have been professionally diagnosed with IBS, 43% are treating it with Rx, 32% are treating it with a non-prescription product and 18% are not treating this condition.

Here are five facts for marketers about the multimedia habits of adults with IBS and how they differ from the average adults.

1. Although 2 out of 3 adults with IBS are female, people with IBS are 20% more likely to read printed men’s magazines and 41% more likely to read printed business/finance magazines than all adults.
2. This group of adults is 64% more likely to say they used the Internet in the last 30 days for condition/treatment related information and 97% more likely to have used the Internet for online health-related shopping activities.
3. They are 76% more likely to watch self-improvement or makeover television programs and 66% more likely to watch audience participation/game show programming.
4. 38% of adults with IBS watch television/movies using Video on Demand.
5. These adults are 51% more likely to say they are comfortable registering on a website which consistently offers useful information about their particular health condition.

Using data from this study can help agencies and marketers understand ailment sufferers, treatment and how to best reach them. For more information about accessing full study results, contact us here.

The 2015 MARS Consumer Health Study helps the industry make better decisions about how to incorporate online into pharmaceutical and OTC marketing strategies. The MARS Consumer Health Study has updated its methodology to online data collection, while still maintaining an offline component to measure ailments, media consumption and demographics across the entire U.S. adult population.