| Author | Year of publication | Country | Number of participants | GI symptoms | Outcomes |
| El Ansari et al. [4] | 2014 | UK Egypt | 6977 | Diarrhea Constipation Abdominal problems | With increasing levels of perceived stress, the frequency of symptoms increased. More females reported more stress than males. Younger students were more prone to suffer from stress. Effective coping/preventive mechanisms need to be considered by students to minimize the level of stress and its impact on health. |
| Lee et al. [5] | 2011 | Korea | 715 | Upper dysmotility Bowel symptoms | Students who experienced higher perceived stress complained of more than one gastrointestinal symptom. No significant gender difference. High levels of perceived stress are regarded as a threat to gastrointestinal symptoms, and effective interventions need to be developed to reduce the stress the students’ encounter |
| Jahan et al. [7] | 2020 | Oman | 81 | Post-meal fullness Bloating Abdominal pain Diarrhea Constipation Irritable bowel syndrome | There is a link between stress and two signs of upper dysmotility. Gastrointestinal symptoms are more prevalent among females than males. |
| Nur et al. [8] | 2015 | Turkey | 449 | Upper dysmotility Bowel symptoms | Gastrointestinal symptoms are prevalent among students with a high level of perceived stress. |
| Balmus et al. [9] | 2019 | Rome | 50 | Functional gastrointestinal symptoms | Stress-exposed students reported a higher occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Females experienced more stress and gastrointestinal symptoms. Perceived stress levels and gastrointestinal symptoms decreased with age. Functional gastrointestinal symptoms are almost certainly a reaction to stress. |
| Chu et al. [10] | 2012 | China | 5000 | Functional dyspepsia Irritable bowel syndrome Functional constipation | Psychological disorders such as anxiety provide a significant risk for irritable bowel syndrome. The symptoms were mostly seen in female students. |
| Gomathi et al. [11] | 2012 | UAE | 125 | Not specified | The stressors can be academic, psychosocial, or health-related. No significant association between academic stress and health complaints or gastrointestinal symptoms |