Table 3.

Characteristics of patients in baseline period.

Variables		Group, number (%)		P value
		CCH1	Lactulose
Gender
Female		26 (59.1)	25 (51.0)	0.43
Male		18 (40.9)	24 (49.0)
Age (years)
41–60		9 (20.5)	9 (18.4)	0.59
61–80		17 (38.6)	24 (49.0)
>80		18 (40.9)	16 (32.7)
Mean (SD)		73.4 (13.3)	73.6 (13.2)	0.94
Abdominal surgery
No		30 (68.2)	38 (77.6)	0.30
Yes		14 (31.8)	11 (22.4)
Barthel index*
≤30		31 (70.5)	37 (75.5)	0.83
35–60		6 (13.6)	5 (10.2)
>60		7 (15.9)	7 (14.3)
Median (25th, 75th percentile)		17.5 (0, 45)	10.0 (0, 32.5)	0.59
Severity of constipation†
Group A		21 (47.7)	23 (46.9)	0.84
Group B		15 (34.1)	19 (38.8)
Group C		8 (18.2)	7 (14.3)
History of disease
Hypertension		30 (68.2)	29 (59.2)	0.36
Cerebrovascular disease		22 (50.0)	29 (59.2)	0.37
Diabetes		15 (34.1)	17 (34.7)	0.95
Cardiovascular disease		12 (27.3)	16 (32.7)	0.57
Dementia		9 (20.5)	9 (18.4)	0.79
Anxiety/depression		7 (15.9)	12 (24.5)	0.30
Chronic lung disease		6 (13.6)	5 (10.2)	0.60
Peptic ulcer		4 (9.1)	7 (14.3)	0.43
Anemia		3 (6.8)	5 (10.2)	0.71
Parkinsonism		2 (4.5)	7 (14.3)	0.16
Malignancy except GI origin		2 (4.5)	3 (6.1)	0.99
Chronic hepatitis		2 (4.5)	3 (6.1)	0.99
Chronic kidney disease		1 (2.3)	3 (6.1)	0.61

*Barthel index [26] (0–100) is a scale used to measure performance in basic activities of daily living. A higher number is associated with a better performance.

^†Participants were classified into three groups according to their bowel performance in the run-in period under the bowel routine protocol in long-term care:

group A: received enema more than once a week,

group B: received enema once a week or had less than three times of spontaneous bowel movements per week,

group C: 3–7 times of spontaneous bowel movements per week under usual care.