Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has long been considered a diagnosis of exclusion. Several criteria have been proposed for its diagnosis, including the Rome III criteria in 2006. While several studies elsewhere have focused on IBS, this is not the case in our study, as no study has focused on subclassification. The aim of our study was to describe the sociodemographic and clinical aspects and to make a subclassification of irritable bowel syndrome.

Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in four health centers in the city of Ouagadougou. Data collection was prospective over 3 months. All patients diagnosed with IBS according to the Rome III criteria were included.

Results: The prevalence of IBS was 22.1%. The sex ratio was 0.84. The mean age was 37.6±14.3. Abdominal pain was the primary reason for consultation (84.2%). A family history of IBS was present in 30.7% of patients. The form with constipation was the most predominant (63.4%). Dietary (69.3%) and psychological (33.7%) influencing factors were reported.

Conclusion: IBS is a common condition that mainly affects young people. Constipation-predominant forms are the most common in our context. Diet is the main factor influencing the pathology.