{"title":"Frequency of Functional Constipation in Lebanese Children: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Parental Reporting.","authors":"Theresia Tannoury, Jana Assy, Nadine Yazbeck","doi":"10.1155/2024/5183069","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Aim:</b> To determine the frequency and possible associated dietary and environmental factors of functional constipation (FC) among children in Lebanon followed at a single pediatric health system. <b>Method:</b> A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in all pediatrics clinics at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). Children aged 2-7 years presenting for a well-child visit were recruited. Data relating to the child's bowel habits and other history items were obtained from parental questionnaires. <b>Results:</b> The mean age of the 172 recruited participants was 4.94 years with 56.4% being males. FC was present in 32.6% of the participants. Although there was no difference in the frequency of FC based on age and gender, the peak frequency of FC was at 5 years. The daily frequency of withholding stools was 64.3%, and 46.6% of the children with FC always experienced straining while stooling for the past 2 months. Decreased physical activity and diet were not significantly associated with FC. <b>Conclusion:</b> The present study shows that 32.6% of children aged 2-7 years in Lebanon suffer from constipation while only 51.7% of the recruited children's physicians inquire about the child's bowel movement during the well check visit. These numbers highlight the need to raise more awareness among pediatricians on the need to screen for constipation during clinic visits as a standard of care practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11366055/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Pediatrics","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5183069","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PEDIATRICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Aim: To determine the frequency and possible associated dietary and environmental factors of functional constipation (FC) among children in Lebanon followed at a single pediatric health system. Method: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in all pediatrics clinics at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). Children aged 2-7 years presenting for a well-child visit were recruited. Data relating to the child's bowel habits and other history items were obtained from parental questionnaires. Results: The mean age of the 172 recruited participants was 4.94 years with 56.4% being males. FC was present in 32.6% of the participants. Although there was no difference in the frequency of FC based on age and gender, the peak frequency of FC was at 5 years. The daily frequency of withholding stools was 64.3%, and 46.6% of the children with FC always experienced straining while stooling for the past 2 months. Decreased physical activity and diet were not significantly associated with FC. Conclusion: The present study shows that 32.6% of children aged 2-7 years in Lebanon suffer from constipation while only 51.7% of the recruited children's physicians inquire about the child's bowel movement during the well check visit. These numbers highlight the need to raise more awareness among pediatricians on the need to screen for constipation during clinic visits as a standard of care practice.
期刊介绍:
International Journal of Pediatrics is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original researcharticles, review articles, and clinical studies in all areas of pediatric research. The journal accepts submissions presented as an original article, short communication, case report, review article, systematic review, or letter to the editor.