An epidemiologic study on functional constipation among adult communities in Shanghai / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To determine the prevalence and risk factors of functional constipation (FC) by using Rome Ⅲ criteria in the local adult communities.Methods A stratified randomized and community-based study by multi-stage cluster sampling was employed.A household survey was conducted from April to May 2010.All of the participants were interviewed face-to-face by filling out the self-administered questionnaires which based on Rome Ⅲ criteria for the diagnosis of FC.Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS),self-rating depression scale (SDS) and Athens insomnia scale (AIS) were carried out to evaluate the psychological characteristics and qualities of sleep.Results A total of 7648 subjects fulfilled the questionnaires,with the response rate as 90.0％.211 patients met the Rome Ⅲ criteria,including 90 males and 121 females.The adjusted prevalence rates of FC were 2.5％ in males,3.3％ in females and with an overall rate as 2.9％.The ratio of men to women was 1∶1.32,with significant difference between males and females (P=0.043).The most common group was in the 18-29 year-olds (x2=37.359,P=0.000).FC patients were more likely to be detected in the group with normal BMI (x2=16.087,P=0.002),having received high education (x2=27.604,P=0.000),being intelectuals ( x2=6.922,P=0.031 ) and divorced ( x2=22.000,P=0.000) than in other groups. Multivariate analysis showed that excessive intake of high-fat food was significantly associated with the presence of FC (odds ratio as 1.253,P=0.000),whereas foods with high-fiber (odds ratio as 0.854,P=0.029) might serve as protective factors.Significant differences between FC groups and control groups were found in the incidence of anxiety (with odds ratio as 2.583,P=0.000) and insomnia (odds ratio as 2.443,P=0.000).Conclusion The prevalence of FC in adult communities in Shanghai Songjiang district was not higher than that in other parts of the communities.Excessive intake of high-fat food,anxiety and insomnia might be risk factors for FC and foods with high-fiber contents might serve as protective factors.