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Characteristics of studies regarding the epidemiology of constipation in Oceania. |
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| First author, year of publication, setting |
Type of study |
Definition of constipation |
Study population (% of responders) |
Prevalence per 100 |
Factors significantly associated with increased odds for constipation |
Quality score+ |
Comments |
|
|
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| Howell SC 2006 Sydney [32] |
Mailed questionnaire survey |
Rome II criteria |
1673 (42.6) persons, 25–64 yr, randomly selected from 28 districts |
30.7 |
Upper-middle educational social class. Female gender. |
6 |
F/M 1.4 |
| Campbell 1992 New Zealand [33] |
Interview-questionnaire survey and a dietary assessment |
≤ 3 DPW, strained at stools, taking laxatives every 2–3 days |
856 (91) participants> 70 years registered with the five general practitioners serving a rural township of 13500 people |
4.3 had ≤ 3 DPW 20.3 had one of the three factors that may indicate constipation |
Female gender and age |
3 |
F/M 1.76 |
| Bytzer P 2001 Sydney [34] |
Mailed questionnaire survey |
At least one of < 3 DPW, hard or lumpy stools, anal blockage, during preceding 3 months |
8555 (57), divided into 5 socioeconomic classes, from 1st (highest) to 5th (lowest) quintiles |
1st: 6.3 2nd: 8.7 3rd: 9.6 4th: 10.3 5th: 10.2 |
Low socioeconomic class. |
6 |
|
| Chiarelli P 2000 Australia [35] |
Questionnaire survey |
Sometimes or often experiencing constipation symptoms during the preceding 12 months |
14761 (41) women 18–23 yr 14070 (54) women 45–50 yr 12893 (37) women 70–75 yr |
14.1 (18–23 yr) 26.6 (45–50 yr) 27.7 (70–75 yr) |
Haemorrhoids and 'other bowel problems' in all three cohorts. Parity in the young cohort. Hysterectomy, prolapse repair, and medications in the middle-aged and older cohorts. |
3 |
|
| Talley NJ 2004 New Zealand [36] |
Questionnaire survey |
Defined below* |
924 persons 26 yr old, from a birth cohort (94 of total original sample) |
19.9 |
Female gender. |
5 |
F/M 1.3 |
|
Abbreviations DPW: defecations per week, F/M: female/male ratio, Rome II criteria: at least 12 weeks, which need not be consecutive, in the preceding 12 months, of two or more of: < 3 DPW, hard or lumpy stools in > 1/4 of defecations, straining in > 1/4, digital manipulation of stools in > 1/4, sensation of incomplete evacuation in > 1/4, sensation of anorectal obstruction or blockage in > 1/4, *: at least one of less than three bowel movements weekly, hard or lumpy stools, straining on defecation, incomplete evacuation, in the preceding 12 months, RCT: randomized controlled trial, +: critical appraisal guidelines for research articles determining prevalence, developed by Loney et al14 | |||||||
Peppas et al. BMC Gastroenterology 2008 8:5 doi:10.1186/1471-230X-8-5 |
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