Table 1 Univariate analysis of participant characteristics in the functional constipation (FC) and non-FC groups, presented as the frequency or mean ± standard deviation (SD)
Items | FC (n = 262) | Non-FC (n = 2738) | P value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Residential area: North (Tohoku, Hokkaido)/East (Kanto, Tokai, Koshinetsu)/West (Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu), n/n/n | 33/128/101 | 298/1483/959 | 0.250 | |
Age, years (mean ± SD) | 49.8 ± 13.1 | 45.8 ± 13.3 | < 0.001** | |
Sex, female, n (%) | 189 (72.1) | 1308 (47.8) | < 0.001** | |
BMI, kg/m2 (mean ± SD) | 21.0 ± 3.3 | 21.7 ± 3.6 | 0.002** | |
Jobs and education | ||||
Employment status, n (%) | Student | 10 (3.8%) | 34 (1.2%) | 0.360 |
Office worker | 103 (39.3%) | 1266 (46.2%) | 0.030** | |
Self-employed | 21 (8.0%) | 216 (7.9%) | 0.900 | |
Part-time worker | 36 (13.7%) | 389 (14.2%) | 0.930 | |
Retired or unemployed | 29 (11.1%) | 439 (16.0%) | 0.030** | |
Homemaker | 72 (27.5%) | 394 (14.4%) | < 0.001** | |
Education, n (%) | Junior high school or high school | 129 (49.2%) | 1218 (44.5%) | 0.150 |
Bachelor’s degree or higher | 132 (50.4%) | 1506 (55.0%) | 0.150 | |
Past history of disease | ||||
Hypertension, n (%) | 25 (9.5%) | 377 (13.8%) | 0.060 | |
Type 2 diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 3 (1.1%) | 196 (7.2%) | < 0.001** | |
Hyperlipidemia, n (%) | 25 (9.5%) | 313 (11.4%) | 0.410 | |
Lesion in the stomach, duodenum or small intestine, n (%) | 0 | 291 (10.6%) | NA | |
Inflammatory bowel disease, n (%) | 0 | 0 | – | |
Hemorrhoids, n (%) | 0 | 395 (14.4%) | NA | |
Diverticulum, n (%) | 0 | 35 (1.3%) | NA | |
Gastrointestinal cancer, n (%) | 0 | 0 | – | |
Cerebrovascular disease, n (%) | 0 | 60 (2.2%) | NA | |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, n (%) | 0 | 5 (0.2%) | NA | |
Liver disease, n (%) | 0 | 62 (2.3%) | NA | |
Kidney disease, n (%) | 0 | 62 (2.3%) | NA | |
Abdominal surgery without appendectomy, n (%) | 0 | 0 | – | |
Anemia, n (%) | 36 (13.7%) | 468 (17.1%) | 0.190 | |
Past treatment history | ||||
Hypertensive drugs, n (%) | 14 (5.3%) | 276 (10.1%) | 0.010** | |
Insulin injections or Hyperglycemia drugs, n (%) | 0 | 123 (4.5%) | NA | |
Hyperlipidemia drugs, n (%) | 22 (8.4%) | 264 (9.6%) | 0.580 | |
Cerebrovascular disease, n (%) | 0 | 80 (2.9%) | NA | |
Cardiovascular disease, n (%) | 1 (0.4%) | 81 (3.0%) | 0.010** | |
Chronic renal failure or history of dialysis, n (%) | 0 | 26 (0.9%) | NA | |
Depression or anxiety, n (%) | 0 | 314 (11.5%) | NA | |
Lifestyle factors based on JHPI questionnaire | ||||
Smoking more than 100 cigarettes per month and smoking for 6 month or longer, n (%) | 41 (15.6%) | 39 (1.4%) | 0.580 | |
Alcohol drinking occasionally or daily, n (%) | 156 (59.5%) | 1046 (38.2%) | 0.900 | |
Walking for 1 h/d, n (%) | 100 (38.2%) | 1027 (37.5%) | 0.730 | |
Body weight gain of at least 10 kg, n (%) | 45 (17.2%) | 630 (23.0%) | 0.036** | |
Exercising for more than 30 min twice a week for at least 1 year, n (%) | 57 (21.8%) | 564 (20.6%) | 0.630 | |
Walking or similar exercise for more than 1 h/d, n (%) | 56 (21.4%) | 567 (20.7%) | 0.610 | |
Walking faster than other people of the same age, n (%) | 97 (37.0%) | 1038 (37.9%) | 0.790 | |
Body weight gain or loss of at least 3 kg within 1 year, n (%) | 86 (32.8%) | 928 (33.9%) | 0.780 | |
Eating faster than other people, n (%) | 100 (38.2%) | 1027 (37.5%) | 0.730 | |
Having dinner within 2 h before going to sleep at least 3 times a week, n (%) | 67 (25.6%) | 794 (29.0%) | 0.290 | |
Eating snacks after dinner at least 3 times a week, n (%) | 83 (31.7%) | 797 (29.1%) | 0.390 | |
Skipping breakfast at least 3 times a week, n (%) | 69 (26.3%) | 715 (26.1%) | 0.940 | |
Insufficient sleep, n (%) | 144 (55.0%) | 1588 (58.0%) | 0.350 | |
Strong awareness of constipation, n (%) | 71 (27.1%) | 1171 (42.8%) | < 0.001** | |
Rome III criteria question items | ||||
Improvement with defecation, n (%) | 194 (74.0%) | 1933 (70.6%) | 0.255 | |
Onset associated with a change in frequency of stool, n (%) | 133 (50.8%) | 1613 (58.9%) | 0.013** | |
Onset associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool, n (%) | 137 (52.3%) | 1577 (57.6%) | 0.103 | |
Straining during at least 25% of defecation, n (%) | 211 (80.5%) | 1828 (66.8%) | < 0.001** | |
Lumpy or hard stool at least 25% of defecations, n (%) | 210 (80.2%) | 1682 (61.4%) | < 0.001** | |
Sensation of incomplete evacuation for at least 25% of defecation, n (%) | 230 (87.8%) | 1828 (66.8%) | < 0.001** | |
Sensation of hard evacuation, n (%) | 255 (97.3%) | 2036 (74.4%) | < 0.001** | |
Manual maneuvers to facilitate digital evacuation at least 25% of defecation, n (%) | 18 (6.9%) | 144 (5.3%) | 0.254 | |
Manual maneuvers to facilitate support of the pelvic floor at least 25% of defecation, n (%) | 62 (23.7%) | 321 (11.7%) | < 0.001** | |
Loose stools are rarely present without the use of laxatives, n (%) | 262 (100.0%) | 843 (30.8%) | < 0.001** | |
Quality of life (SF-8) | ||||
GH† (mean ± SD) | 46.9 ± 7.5 | 46.1 ± 7.8 | 0.121 | |
PF‡ (mean ± SD) | 47.2 ± 9.5 | 46.9 ± 9.0 | 0.532 | |
RP§ (mean ± SD) | 48.6 ± 7.1 | 47.9 ± 7.9 | 0.158 | |
BP¶ (mean ± SD) | 48.5 ± 8.3 | 48.3 ± 8.6 | 0.655 | |
VT†† (mean ± SD) | 48.1 ± 7.4 | 46.5 ± 7.9 | 0.002** | |
SF‡‡ (mean ± SD) | 47.9 ± 9.1 | 45.9 ± 10.2 | 0.002** | |
MH§§ (mean ± SD) | 48.9 ± 7.7 | 47.2 ± 8.3 | 0.001** | |
RE¶¶ (mean ± SD) | 45.0 ± 10.5 | 43.1 ± 10.9 | 0.010** | |
PCS††† (mean ± SD) | 46.9 ± 7.1 | 46.9 ± 7.5 | 0.966 | |
MCS‡‡‡ (mean ± SD) | 46.7 ± 8.3 | 44.4 ± 9.2 | < 0.001** | |