Association between constipation and childhood nocturnal enuresis in Taiwan: a population-based matched case-control study

BACKGROUND: The relationship between constipation and childhood nocturnal enuresis (NE) has been previously reported; however, this relationship remains controversial. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between constipation and childhood NE. METHODS: Data from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID 2000) of Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2013 were collected. A total of 2286 children were enrolled in this study: a case group of 1143 children aged 5-18 years who were diagnosed with NE (NE group) and an age- and sex-matched control group of 1143 children without NE. Conditional logistic regression and odds ratio (OR) for NE were used to examine the association between constipation and childhood NE. RESULTS: The prevalence of NE in the case group (NE group, aged 5-18 years) was 1.03% from 2000 to 2013. The NE group had a higher percentage of constipation in 1 year before the diagnosis of NE. After stratification for sex, both boys and girls with constipation had higher OR for NE. With stratification for age, children aged 5-12 and 7-12 years had a higher OR for NE. CONCLUSIONS: Constipation is associated with childhood NE in Taiwan, particularly in children aged 5-7 and 7-12 years.