Prevalence of constipation in school children

OBJECTIVE: To obtain the prevalence of constipation in school children, as chronic constipation is frequent among children attending our outpatient unit but only scarce data about community prevalence are available. METHODS: 1145 children of the two first school years (52.5% males, median age 8y 4mo) of 5 schools in underprivileged areas were evaluated. They answered a previously validated questionnaire, applied by specially trained students of a practical nurse school. Defecation of scybalous stools and/or straining / pain, usually, were used to characterize constipation, by a strict criterium. Soiling or fecal blood occurring as isolated symptoms were not included in the strict criterium, but were included in two other criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of constipation was 25.1% for boys and 32.9% for girls, by the strict criterium, and was more frequent among girls (p<0.05). Constipated boys and girls presented, respectively, 30.5% e 31.8% of soiling and 14.6% and 25.7% of fecal blood. In addition 61 boys and 49 girls presented either soiling or fecal blood as isolated symptoms and increased the prevalence by the other criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of constipation in the observed community was high. Due to the severity of the possible complications, this could be considered a public health problem.