Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1990 Feb;80(2):185–189. doi: 10.2105/ajph.80.2.185

Demographic and dietary determinants of constipation in the US population.

R S Sandler 1, M C Jordan 1, B J Shelton 1
PMCID: PMC1404600  PMID: 2297063

Abstract

We investigated the association between self-reported constipation and several demographic and dietary variables in 15,014 men and women 12-74 years of age examined between 1971-75 during the first Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Overall, 12.8 percent reported constipation. Self-reported constipation correlated poorly with stool frequency. Nine percent of those with daily stools and 30.6 percent of those with four to six stools/week, reported constipation. Constipation was more frequent in Blacks (17.3 percent), women (18.2 percent), and those over age 60 (23.3 percent); after adjusting for age, sex, and race it was more prevalent in those with daily inactivity, little leisure exercise, low income, and poor education. Constipated subjects reported lower consumption of cheese, dry beans and peas, milk, meat and poultry, beverages (sweetened, carbonated and noncarbonated), and fruits and vegetables. They reported higher consumption of coffee or tea. They consumed fewer total calories even after controlling for body mass and exercise.

Full text

PDF
185

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bond J. H., Currier B. E., Buchwald H., Levitt M. D. Colonic conservation of malabsorbed carbohydrate. Gastroenterology. 1980 Mar;78(3):444–447. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Burkitt D. Fiber as protective against gastrointestinal diseases. Am J Gastroenterol. 1984 Apr;79(4):249–252. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Connell A. M., Hilton C., Irvine G., Lennard-Jones J. E., Misiewicz J. J. Variation of bowel habit in two population samples. Br Med J. 1965 Nov 6;2(5470):1095–1099. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5470.1095. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Flourie B., Florent C., Jouany J. P., Thivend P., Etanchaud F., Rambaud J. C. Colonic metabolism of wheat starch in healthy humans. Effects on fecal outputs and clinical symptoms. Gastroenterology. 1986 Jan;90(1):111–119. doi: 10.1016/0016-5085(86)90082-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gordis L. Challenges to epidemiology in the next decade. Am J Epidemiol. 1988 Jul;128(1):1–9. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114931. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. HAMMOND E. C. SOME PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ON PHYSICAL COMPLAINTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 1,064,004 MEN AND WOMEN. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1964 Jan;54:11–23. doi: 10.2105/ajph.54.1.11. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Holdstock D. J., Misiewicz J. J., Smith T., Rowlands E. N. Propulsion (mass movements) in the human colon and its relationship to meals and somatic activity. Gut. 1970 Feb;11(2):91–99. doi: 10.1136/gut.11.2.91. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Klurfeld D. M. The role of dietary fiber in gastrointestinal disease. J Am Diet Assoc. 1987 Sep;87(9):1172–1177. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Sandler R. S., Drossman D. A. Bowel habits in young adults not seeking health care. Dig Dis Sci. 1987 Aug;32(8):841–845. doi: 10.1007/BF01296706. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Sims E. A., Danforth E., Jr, Horton E. S., Bray G. A., Glennon J. A., Salans L. B. Endocrine and metabolic effects of experimental obesity in man. Recent Prog Horm Res. 1973;29:457–496. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-571129-6.50016-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sonnenberg A., Koch T. R. Epidemiology of constipation in the United States. Dis Colon Rectum. 1989 Jan;32(1):1–8. doi: 10.1007/BF02554713. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sonnenberg A., Koch T. R. Physician visits in the United States for constipation: 1958 to 1986. Dig Dis Sci. 1989 Apr;34(4):606–611. doi: 10.1007/BF01536339. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Stephen A. M., Haddad A. C., Phillips S. F. Passage of carbohydrate into the colon. Direct measurements in humans. Gastroenterology. 1983 Sep;85(3):589–595. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Thompson W. G., Heaton K. W. Functional bowel disorders in apparently healthy people. Gastroenterology. 1980 Aug;79(2):283–288. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tucker D. M., Sandstead H. H., Logan G. M., Jr, Klevay L. M., Mahalko J., Johnson L. K., Inman L., Inglett G. E. Dietary fiber and personality factors as determinants of stool output. Gastroenterology. 1981 Nov;81(5):879–883. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Willett W., Stampfer M. J. Total energy intake: implications for epidemiologic analyses. Am J Epidemiol. 1986 Jul;124(1):17–27. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114366. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES