Table 1.
Factor loadings derived from the rotated factor matrix
| Factor loading | Percent variance | |
| Factor 1: Straining | 17.3 | |
| Strain hard: How often | 0.82 | |
| Straining: How bad usually | 0.80 | |
| Straining: How long | 0.76 | |
| Straining: How often | 0.71 | |
| How long to bowel motions take | 0.59 | |
| How often incomplete evacuation | 0.55 | |
| How often unsuccessful attempts | 0.52 | |
| Frequency of any bowel problems | 0.47 | |
| How troubling is constipation | 0.41 | |
| Change positions: How often | 0.35 | |
| Factor 2: Pain frequency and severity | 8.4 | |
| Abdominal pain: How often | 0.80 | |
| Pain in belly: Past 3 mo | 0.79 | |
| Abdominal pain: Severity | 0.79 | |
| Abdominal pain: Length | 0.65 | |
| Rectal mucus: How often | 0.41 | |
| Rectal pain: How often | 0.39 | |
| Pain in belly: Past 12 mo | -0.58 | |
| Factor 3: Duration of constipation | 6.5 | |
| Constipation: How many years | 0.89 | |
| Straining: How many years | 0.87 | |
| Abdominal pain: First occurrence | 0.57 | |
| Factor 4: Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms | 5.6 | |
| Abdominal pain: Improved after bowel motion | 0.75 | |
| Abdominal pain: Improved after passing gas | 0.70 | |
| Experience lower abdominal pain | 0.63 | |
| Bowel motions: Harder than usual past 12 mo | 0.40 | |
| Factor 5: Urge frequency | 4.1 | |
| Urge for bowel motion: How often | 0.72 | |
| Perceive an urge before attempt to open bowels | 0.68 | |
| Visits to toilet: How often | 0.56 | |
| Urgency for bowel motion: How often | 0.42 | |
| Factor 6: Diarrhea frequency | 3.8 | |
| Loose/watery stool: How often | 0.75 | |
| Pebble-like stool: How often | -0.42 | |
| Rectal disimpaction: How often required | -0.45 | |
| Hard/lumpy stool: How often | -0.63 | |
| Factor 7: Alternating between diarrhea and constipation | 3.4 | |
| Usually alternating | 0.87 | |
| Usually constipated | -0.86 | |
| Factor 8: Bloating frequency | 3.2 | |
| Stomach swelling in the last 12 mo: How often | 0.71 | |
| Felt bloated in the last 12 mo: How often | 0.68 | |
| Felt blocked: How often | 0.47 | |
| Factor 9: Laxative efficacy | 2.9 | |
| Laxative use: Longest gap between taking and bowel motion | 0.70 | |
| Bowel motions: Fewer than usual past 12 mo | 0.56 | |
| Laxative use: How often | 0.44 | |
| Factor 10: Rectal urgency | 2.7 | |
| Urge from rectum | 0.89 | |
| Urge from abdomen and rectum | -0.80 | |
| Factor 11: Bowel motion frequency | 2.6 | |
| Longest gap between bowel motions | 0.81 | |
| Usual bowel frequency | -0.56 | |
| Factor 12: Change in bowel frequency | 2.4 | |
| Bowel motions: More than usual past 12 mo | 0.74 | |
| Bowel motions: Looser than usual past 12 mo | 0.62 | |
| Factor 13: Abdominal urge | 2.3 | |
| Experience an urge from abdomen | 0.89 | |
| Factor 14: Diarrhea predominance | 2.2 | |
| Usually experience diarrhea | 0.79 | |
| Factor 15: Antecedent to constipation | 2.0 | |
| An antecedent for the constipation | 0.71 | |
| Experience upper abdominal pain | 0.51 | |
| Total (1-15) | 69.3 |