Table 1 Characteristics of subjects with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and their beliefs regarding bowel habits
Female (n = 541) | Male (n = 218) | p-value | Age 20–49 years (n = 404) | Age 50–79 years (n = 355) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female/male (n) | 541/0 | 0/218 | N/A | 298/106 (73.8/26.2) | 243/112 (68.5/31.5) | n.s. |
Age (mean ± SD, years) | 47 ± 14 | 49 ± 15 | < 0.05 | 36 ± 8 | 60 ± 7 | N/A |
Frequency of bowel movements (median, times/week) | 3 | 5 | < 0.001 | 3 | 4 | < 0.05 |
Ideal frequency of bowel movements | < 0.05 | n.s. | ||||
6 times/week or less | 123 (22.7) | 42 (19.3) | 91 (22.5) | 74 (20.8) | ||
7 times/week | 402 (74.3) | 161 (73.9) | 299 (74.0) | 264 (74.4) | ||
8 times/week or more | 16 (3.0) | 15 (6.9) | 14 (3.5) | 17 (4.8) | ||
Consider bowel habits to be an indicator of health | n.s. | n.s. | ||||
None | 50 (9.2) | 21 (9.6) | 29 (7.2) | 42 (11.8) | ||
Sometimes | 160 (29.6) | 61 (28.0) | 114 (28.2) | 107 (30.1) | ||
Often | 124 (22.9) | 62 (28.4) | 100 (24.8) | 86 (24.2) | ||
Mostly | 104 (19.2) | 44 (20.2) | 80 (19.8) | 68 (19.2) | ||
Always | 103 (19.0) | 30 (13.8) | 81 (20.0) | 52 (14.6) | ||
Degree of anxiety in daily life | n.s. | < 0.001 | ||||
None | 126 (23.3) | 50 (22.9) | 70 (17.3) | 106 (29.9) | ||
Sometimes | 309 (57.1) | 131 (60.1) | 225 (55.7) | 215 (60.6) | ||
Often | 80 (14.8) | 31 (14.2) | 84 (20.8) | 27 (7.6) | ||
Almost | 26 (4.8) | 6 (2.8) | 25 (6.2) | 7 (2.0) |