Tsuchiya Masahiro, Tsuchiya Shinobu, Momma Haruki, Nagatomi Ryoichi, Yaegashi Nobuo, Arima Takahiro, Ota Chiharu, Igarashi Kaoru, Miura Yuichiro
Department of Nursing, Tohoku Fukushi University, 6-149-1 Kunimi-ga-oka, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 981-3201, Japan.
Division of Craniofacial Anomalies, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan.
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 5;15(1):7753. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-88562-8.
Functional constipation is the most common gastrointestinal disorder during childhood. Oral stimulation (mastication and toothbrushing) reportedly improves bowel movements, but the association between daily toothbrushing behavior and functional constipation remains unknown. Data (n = 83,660) from fetal records (n = 104,059) in the Japan Environment and Children's Study, an ongoing prospective birth cohort, were analyzed to investigate the impact of daily toothbrushing frequency on functional constipation during childhood, using ROME III diagnostic criteria. After multiple imputations of data acquired from self-reported questionnaires, a multivariable binomial logistic regression analysis was used with adjustments for several maternal and child-related variables. Functional constipation was observed in 10,123 (12.1%) and 8,820 (10.5%) participants at 3 and 4 years postpartum, respectively. Using the appropriate frequency of daily toothbrushing (twice or more) as a reference, the odds of functional constipation increased with decreasing daily toothbrushing frequency after covariate adjustments involving daily feeding frequency. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for functional constipation in participants without daily toothbrushing behavior (less than once a day) at 4 years postpartum was 1.87 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34-2.61). Similarly, the adjusted OR (95% CI) for chronic functional constipation (at both 3 and 4 years postpartum) in participants without daily toothbrushing behavior (less than once a day) at 2 years postpartum was 1.62 (1.14-2.31). Functional constipation during childhood was associated with decreased daily toothbrushing frequency. Although the underlying mechanism of daily toothbrushing behavior in prompting bowel movements remains unclear, it is a major basis of self-health management in children that plays an important role in managing functional constipation.
功能性便秘是儿童时期最常见的胃肠道疾病。据报道，口腔刺激（咀嚼和刷牙）可改善排便，但每日刷牙行为与功能性便秘之间的关联尚不清楚。利用ROME III诊断标准，对正在进行的前瞻性出生队列研究“日本环境与儿童研究”中胎儿记录（n = 104,059）的数据（n = 83,660）进行分析，以研究儿童时期每日刷牙频率对功能性便秘的影响。在对自我报告问卷收集的数据进行多次插补后，使用多变量二项逻辑回归分析，并对几个与母亲和儿童相关的变量进行了调整。产后3年和4年时，分别有10,123名（12.1%）和8,820名（10.5%）参与者被观察到患有功能性便秘。以每日适当的刷牙频率（两次或更多）为参照，在对每日喂养频率进行协变量调整后，功能性便秘的几率随着每日刷牙频率的降低而增加。产后4年无每日刷牙行为（每天少于一次）的参与者中，功能性便秘的调整优势比（OR）为1.87（95%置信区间[CI] 1.34 - 2.61）。同样，产后2年无每日刷牙行为（每天少于一次）的参与者中，慢性功能性便秘（产后3年和4年时均有）的调整OR（95% CI）为1.62（1.14 - 2.31）。儿童时期的功能性便秘与每日刷牙频率降低有关。尽管每日刷牙行为促进排便的潜在机制尚不清楚，但它是儿童自我健康管理的一个主要基础，在功能性便秘的管理中发挥着重要作用。
