High Burden of Constipation Among Autistic Youth: A Nationwide Query Powered by PCORnet.
cross_sectional · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41705710.
- Also identified by DOI 10.14309/ajg.0000000000003967.
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Abstract
Autism is associated with gastrointestinal problems; however, contemporary data on constipation prevalence and healthcare utilization are lacking. We queried >20 million electronic records of youth 6-17 years from 70 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network health systems during 2015-2024, identifying diagnoses of autism, constipation, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Among 578,807 autistic children, 22% had constipation vs 9% in nonautistic youth. Autistic children with constipation (vs without) had more frequent abdominal pain (34% vs 8%), emergency department visits (26% vs 3%), and hospitalizations for abdominal pain/constipation (16% vs 1%). Approximately 1 in 5 autistic children have constipation and experience high unplanned healthcare utilization.