Prevalence of constipation in children visiting MCH clinic Al-Ahsa eastern region of Saudi Arabia cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Constipation is a common health problem, especially among children. The definition of constipation is dependent on stool consistency, stool frequency, and difficulty in passing the stool. Constipation can arise from defects either in filling or emptying the rectum. The prevalence of constipation among children is less reported in Saudi Arabia. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of functional constipation among children and adolescents visiting maternity and children's hospital clinics in the Al-Ahsa, region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study was carried out among children visiting the maternity and children's hospital clinic at Al-Ahsa from the period of November 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023. Healthcare providers filled out the data collection sheet of each child; the analysis of the collected data was performed using SPSS version 22. A total of 100 children enrolled in this study; the major symptoms of constipation were abdominal pain (27%) and loss of appetite (22%), and there were 81% reported more than two times defecation per week. The prevalence of constipation was 34%, and it was significantly affected by gender (<i>P</i> = 0.008), times of defecation per week (<i>P</i> = 0.0001), abdominal pain (<i>P</i> = 0.001), and loss of appetite (<i>P</i> = 0.021). There was a high prevalence of constipation among children; the prevalence of constipation was associated with male gender, less number of defecations per week, fecal incontinence, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite.