PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSTIPATION IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN: A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY

Abstract

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Intestinal constipation is characterized by problems related to evacuation, and presents high prevalence in the female gender. This condition has demonstrated negative effects on the development of daily activities, causing damage to the physical and emotional well-being of individuals who are diagnosed with it. Studies that investigate what health impairments intestinal constipation can cause are scarce in the literature. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify the prevalence and factors associated with intestinal constipation in premenopausal women living in Northeastern Brazil. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study. This was carried out in the northeast of Brazil. Participated 195 women, adult and middle age. Social conditions, habits and lifestyle, clinical aspects and obstetric history were investigated. Constipation was diagnosed using the Rome III Criteria. Multivariate analysis was conducted using Poisson Regression with robust variance to analyze the relationship between intestinal constipation and independent variables. A statistical significance level of P<0.05 was considered. RESULTS: Most of the women were between 25 and 39 years old (49.2%) and had an income of up to one minimum wage (79.5%). The intestinal constipation prevalence was 35.4%. In the final multivariate regression model, hemorrhoid clinical aspects (P=0.01), pain (P=0.001) and a burning sensation (P=0.01) on bowel movement, and sexual dysfunction (P=0.03) remained associated with constipation. CONCLUSION: The present study found a significant prevalence of constipation among premenopausal women and clinical factors such as hemorrhoids, pain and a burning sensation, and sexual dysfunction were associated with intestinal constipation.