BOWEL PATTERNS AMONG SUBJECTS NOT SEEKING HEALTH-CARE - USE OF A QUESTIONNAIRE TO IDENTIFY A POPULATION WITH BOWEL DYSFUNCTION

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 83  (3) , 529-534
Abstract
To understand the disorders of bowel motility, it is important to know the range of bowel patterns in the general population. A brief self-administered questionnaire was devised, which, when used among a group of 789 students and hospital employees, disclosed that 94.2% had stool frequencies between 3/day and 3/wk and that 17.1% had bowel dysfunction. When compared with the remaining sample, the bowel dysfunction group was predominantly female. This group also reported more often that stress influenced their bowel function and more often used laxatives and visited physicians for bowel complaints. Further medical evaluation to characterize this subgroup is needed. Selection, for psychologic and physiologic study, of subjects with bowel dysfunction not seeking health care should provide a needed comparison group in the understanding of patients with irritable bowel syndrome.