Table 2 Comparisons of beliefs about bowel habit between IBS-C and controls (Main study)
|  | Controls (n = 746), n (%) | IBS-C (n = 759), n (%) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
Female/male number | 537/209 (72.0/28.0) | 541/218 (71.3/28.7) | n.s. |
Age (mean ± SD, years) | 47 ± 14 | 47 ± 14 | n.s. |
Frequency of bowel habit (median, times/week) | 7 | 3 | <0.01 |
Ideal frequency of bowel habit | Â | Â | <0.01 |
 6 times/week or less | 113 (15.1) | 165 (21.7) |  |
 7 times/week | 581 (77.9) | 563 (74.2) |  |
 8 times/week or more | 52 (7.0) | 31 (4.1) |  |
Considered bowel habit to be an indicator of health | Â | Â | <0.01 |
 None | 291 (39.0) | 71 (9.4) |  |
 Sometimes | 206 (27.6) | 221 (29.1) |  |
 Often | 90 (12.1) | 186 (24.5) |  |
 Mostly | 69 (9.2) | 148 (19.5) |  |
 Always | 90 (12.1) | 133 (17.5) |  |
Degree of anxiety in daily life | Â | Â | <0.01 |
 None | 403 (54.0) | 176 (23.2) |  |
 Sometimes | 283 (37.9) | 440 (58.0) |  |
 Often | 46 (6.2) | 111 (14.6) |  |
 Almost | 14 (1.9) | 32 (4.2) |  |