Kinetics of resilience with onset and remission of pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders: A longitudinal study

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in children and linked to psychological factors, but longitudinal evidence on resilience's protective role is limited. This three-wave study of 6011 Chinese children and adolescents aged 10-17 years assessed resilience changes using the Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents and FGIDs with Rome IV criteria. Multilevel logistic regression examined associations with FGIDs onset and remission, incorporating interactions with childhood maltreatment and subgroup analyses by sex, developmental stage, and ethnicity. Each one-point resilience increases reduced FGIDs onset risk by 20% and raises remission likelihood by 28%, with emotion regulation as the most consistent dimension. Protective effects were strongest in high-maltreatment groups, especially adolescents for prevention and boys for remission. These results highlight resilience as a key modifiable factor for FGIDs interventions, informing tailored strategies to improve pediatric gastrointestinal health.