Table 1.
Characteristics of the Patients
| Variable | Placebo | Magnesium oxide | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (male/female) | 0/16 | 0/17 | |
| Age (yr) | 42.9 ± 12.7 | 39.0 ± 12.9 | 0.271 |
| Height (cm) | 159.6 ± 5.1 | 157.4 ± 6.4 | 0.357 |
| Weight (kg) | 56.4 ± 10.1 | 54.0 ± 8.6 | 0.471 |
| BMI | 22.1 ± 3.3 | 21.7 ± 2.6 | 0.986 |
| Alcohol | 2 (12.5) | 1 (5.9) | 0.601 |
| Smoking | 9 (56.3) | 9 (52.9) | > 0.999 |
| SBM (n/wk) | 2.5 ± 1.0 | 1.8 ± 1.1 | 0.067 |
| CSBM (n/wk) | 1.3 ± 1.6 | 0.8 ± 1.3 | 0.323 |
| BSFS score | 2.3 ± 1.1 | 1.8 ± 0.6 | 0.221 |
| Colon transit time (hr) | 46.4 ± 36.9 | 75.5 ± 37.3 | 0.036 |
| Abdominal bloating (score) | 2.1 ± 1.1 | 2.2 ± 1.1 | 0.673 |
| Abdominal discomfort (score) | 1.9 ± 1.2 | 1.9 ± 0.9 | 0.863 |
| Straining (score) | 2.0 ± 1.1 | 2.0 ± 1.0 | > 0.999 |
| Sensation of incomplete evacuation (score) | 1.6 ± 0.8 | 2.1 ± 1.1 | 0.150 |
| SF-8 physical component summary (score) | 52.1 ± 4.9 | 50.6 ± 4.6 | 0.390 |
| SF-8 mental component summary (score) | 48.5 ± 6.5 | 47.8 ± 5.5 | 0.771 |
| JPAC-QOL (score) | 20.3 ± 11.7 | 30.1 ± 13.0 | 0.035 |
| Constipation scoring system (score) | 8.9 ± 3.9 | 12.5 ± 3.7 | 0.014 |
BMI, body mass index; SBM, spontaneous bowel movement; CSBM, complete spontaneous bowel movement; SF-8, short form-8; JPAC-QOL, the Japanese version of the patient assessment of constipation quality of life.
Data are presented as n, mean ± SD, or n (%).