Whitehead W E, Drinkwater D, Cheskin L J, Heller B R, Schuster M M
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 1989 May;37(5):423-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1989.tb02638.x.
The prevalence of self-reported constipation and the factors which contribute to it were investigated in a door-to-door survey of 209 people aged 65 to 93. Thirty percent of men and 29% of women described themselves as constipated at least once a month. However, elderly people define constipation differently than do their physicians: only 3% of men and 2% of women in the community sample reported that their average stool frequency was less than three per week, the customary medical criterion for constipation. The primary symptom which elderly people used to define constipation was having to strain in order to defecate. Multiple factors were found to influence self-reports of constipation. The amount of liquids consumed was significantly related to longest period without a bowel movement in men, but fiber and liquids were not related to self-reported constipation in either sex. The number of chronic illnesses and the number of nonlaxative medications were significantly related to constipation in women but not men, and the number of psychological symptoms correlated significantly with self-reports of constipation in both men and women. Age was not significantly related to self-reported constipation in men or women over the age of 65.
在一项针对209名65至93岁人群的挨家挨户调查中，对自我报告的便秘患病率及其相关因素进行了调查。30%的男性和29%的女性表示自己每月至少便秘一次。然而，老年人对便秘的定义与医生不同：在社区样本中，只有3%的男性和2%的女性报告其平均每周排便次数少于三次，这是便秘的常规医学标准。老年人用来定义便秘的主要症状是排便时需要用力。发现多种因素会影响便秘的自我报告。男性摄入的液体量与最长无排便时间显著相关，但纤维和液体与男女自我报告的便秘均无关。慢性病数量和非泻药药物数量与女性便秘显著相关，但与男性无关，心理症状数量与男女便秘自我报告均显著相关。65岁以上男性或女性的年龄与自我报告的便秘无显著关系。
