Table 1.
GI symptom survey responses by symptom category (114 obese patients and 182 normal weight patients).
| Group | Never (%) | Rarely (%) | Occasionally (%) | Frequently (%) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORAL SYMPTOMS | ||||||
| Do you get painful mouth ulcers? | Normal | 57 | 34 | 9 | 1 | 0.355 |
| C II and III obese | 59 | 36 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Do you get sore or swollen tongue? | Normal | 88 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0.015 |
| C II and III obese | 76 | 18 | 4 | 1 | ||
| How often do you get dental work like filling treatments, root canal treatments, etc? | Normal | 16 | 63 | 17 | 3 | 0.570 |
| C II and III obese | 18 | 56 | 23 | 4 | ||
| Do you get bleeding gums? | Normal | 51 | 36 | 12 | 2 | 0.0003 |
| C II and III obese | 36 | 36 | 18 | 11 | ||
| Do you often get sensation of bitter or sour taste in your mouth? | Normal | 77 | 15 | 6 | 2 | <0.0001 |
| C II and III obese | 58 | 19 | 15 | 8 | ||
| DYSPHAGIA | ||||||
| Do you experience trouble swallowing liquid food? | Normal | 87 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0.538 |
| C II and III obese | 79 | 17 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Do you have trouble swallowing solid foods? | Normal | 75 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 0.047 |
| C II and III obese | 66 | 18 | 14 | 3 | ||
| Do you experience gagging or frequent need to clear throat? | Normal | 65 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 0.0010 |
| C II and III obese | 50 | 24 | 16 | 11 | ||
| REFLUX | ||||||
| How often do you experience nausea? | Normal | 29 | 55 | 11 | 5 | 0.0093 |
| C II and III obese | 21 | 46 | 27 | 6 | ||
| Do you vomit or throw up after eating? | Normal | 88 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0.218 |
| C II and III obese | 83 | 13 | 4 | 0 | ||
| How often do you experience heartburn also called reflux? | Normal | 36 | 41 | 14 | 10 | <0.0001 |
| C II and III obese | 22 | 30 | 28 | 20 | ||
| Do you often get sensation of bitter or sour taste in your mouth? | Normal | 77 | 15 | 6 | 2 | <0.0001 |
| Obese | 58 | 19 | 15 | 8 | ||
| How often do you get belching or burping? | Normal | 22 | 46 | 21 | 12 | <0.0001 |
| C II and III obese | 10 | 29 | 32 | 29 | ||
| ABDOMINAL PAIN | ||||||
| Do you get abdominal pain, discomfort or cramping within 2 h of eating? | Normal | 58 | 25 | 9 | 9 | 0.010 |
| C II and III obese | 40 | 30 | 23 | 7 | ||
| Do you experience abdominal pain, discomfort or cramping when you are hungry? | Normal | 67 | 21 | 9 | 3 | 0.0017 |
| C II and III obese | 49 | 27 | 19 | 5 | ||
| BOWEL HABITS | ||||||
| How often do you get diarrhea (more than three stools in a day) or stools with loose consistency? | Normal | 27 | 53 | 13 | 6 | <0.0001 |
| C II and III obese | 16 | 38 | 29 | 18 | ||
| Do you get fecal urgency (having to rush to have a bowel movement? | Normal | 41 | 44 | 10 | 5 | <0.0001 |
| C II and III obese | 21 | 33 | 31 | 15 | ||
| Have you ever lost control of your stools? | Normal | 82 | 13 | 4 | 1 | <0.0001 |
| C II and III obese | 57 | 32 | 8 | 4 | ||
| Do you underclothes get soiled by feces? | Normal | 81 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0.0002 |
| C II and III obese | 63 | 24 | 8 | 5 | ||
| Do you often get constipation (less than three bowel movements per week)? | Normal | 45 | 31 | 13 | 11 | 0.771 |
| C II and III obese | 45 | 33 | 13 | 9 | ||
| Do you get abdominal bloating? | Normal | 35 | 38 | 14 | 13 | 0.0014 |
| C II and III obese | 22 | 28 | 35 | 15 | ||
| How often have you had rectal bleeding in last 1 year? | Normal | 74 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 0.0014 |
| C II and III obese | 58 | 19 | 19 | 3 | ||
| Do you pass excessive flatus? | Normal | 28 | 36 | 21 | 15 | 0.0005 |
| C II and III obese | 15 | 28 | 31 | 26 | ||
| How would you rate your use of laxatives or enema? | Normal | 82 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0.724 |
| C II and III obese | 85 | 10 | 2 | 3 | ||