A community population-based epidemiologic study of chronic constipation in Guangdong province / 中华消化杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate prevalence of chronic constipation in Guangdong province and its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among permanent inhabitants aged 18-80 years in Guangdong province by randomizing clustered sampling under stratification of urban and suburban areas. The impact of symptoms on HRQOL was evaluated using a well-standardized measure, the SF-36. Results A total of 3931 residents (male 1795, female 2136) were investigated. Mean age among the responders was (42.7?14.1) years old. The prevalence of chronic constipation in Guangdong province is 4.0% according to RomeⅡcriteria. The age-and gender-specific standardized constipation rates after gender and age adjustment was 3.6%. The prevalence was increasing with age. A body mass index