Evaluating the Effect of Bowel Management Training Program on Quality of Life in Children with Fecal Incontinence

Background: The bowel management program (BMP) promotes independence and self-sufficiency in children, helping them to integrate into the community. It also enhances their sense of well-being and provides them with a high-quality life. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of BMP on quality of life (QOL) in children with fecal incontinence in Mofid Children’s Hospital in Tehran, Iran from 1 February, 2019 to 1 February, 2020. Methods: The target population of this clinical trial was all individuals with an age range of 4 - 18 years referred to the gastrointestinal and surgical clinic of Mofid Children’s Hospital due to fecal incontinence. A total of 100 subjects with fecal incontinence participated in the study and were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control. To collect data, two questionnaires, including the Demographic Characteristics Questionnaire and the Quality of Life in Children Questionnaire were used. Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups after the intervention (P < 0.05), indicating that the bowel management training program improved the QOL in children. The results also showed a significant increase in all the related aspects in the intervention group, with the highest increase observed in social (P < 0.001) and physical (P < 0.001) aspects. However, in the control group, the increase was meaningful only in the emotional sense (P = 0.002). Accordingly, the scores in the emotional aspect decreased notably after one month. Conclusions: The BMP is an effective way for treating fecal incontinence and improving the QOL in children. Hence, this program is highly recommended to be carried out in comprehensive gastrointestinal centers.