Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 21, 2015; 21(47): 13368-13373
Published online Dec 21, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i47.13368
Epidemiological study of elderly constipation in Beijing
Mei Zhang, Xiao-Jiao Yang, Hong-Ming Zhu, Zhe Tang, Bang-Yi Li, Dan-Dan Zhao
Mei Zhang, Hong-Ming Zhu, Zhe Tang, Bang-Yi Li, Dan-Dan Zhao, Department of Gastroenterology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
Xiao-Jiao Yang, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada
Author contributions: Zhang M designed the research; Tang Z and Zhu HM performed the research; Yang XJ performed data and statistical analyses; Zhao DD and Li BY analyzed data; Zhang M wrote the paper.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Department of Gastroenterology of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There are no conflicts of interest to report.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Mei Zhang, Department of Gastroenterology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45 Changchun Street, Xuanwu District, Beijing 100053, China. zhang2955@sina.com
Telephone: +86-10-83198899 Fax: +86-10-83198899
Received: June 12, 2015
Peer-review started: June 12, 2015
First decision: August 26, 2015
Revised: September 9, 2015
Accepted: November 13, 2015
Article in press: November 13, 2015
Published online: December 21, 2015
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the present situation of elderly constipation in urban and rural areas of the Beijing region.

METHODS: A total of 1942 cases (≥ 60 years) were selected in the Beijing region for investigation. Constipation-related data collection was carried out via hierarchical status, segmentation, and random cluster sampling. Patient data concerning constipation-related demographic indicators, education level, occupation, economic status, and history of gastrointestinal disease was obtained via questionnaires and surveys. Constipation was defined according to the Rome III criteria, with the following constipation judgment indicators: defecation less than 3 times per week, stool weight less than 35 g/d, dry and hard stool, and difficulty in defecating during more than 25% of evacuation attempts.

RESULTS: Of the 1942 cases, 634 were diagnosed with constipation, and the total prevalence rate was 32.6%, which increased with age. There was a statistically insignificantly higher prevalence of constipation in females (compared to males) and urban areas (compared to rural areas). There was a statistically insignificantly higher prevalence in the illiterate group compared to the literacy group. Those engaged in mental work suffered from statistically significantly higher constipation prevalence than those engaged in physical labor. A total of 1847 cases did not suffer from gastritis, of which 595 cases were constipated; although the prevalence rate was 32.2%, showing a higher incidence of constipation in patients with gastritis, no significant statistical difference between the two groups was found. A total of 59 cases with a past history of biliary tract disease were found, of which 26 had constipation; constipation prevalence was 44.1% (far higher than other groups), which was a statistically significant difference.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of elderly constipation in the Beijing region closely resembles Western countries, and is significantly affected by region, age, and past history of other related illnesses.

Keywords: Constipation, Elderly, Epidemiology, Prevalence, Factors

Core tip: Constipation is a common clinical symptom of gastrointestinal dysfunction. Only a few people suffering from constipation problems will seek medical advice. This article concerns the latest epidemiological studies on elderly constipation in Beijing, China.