Prevalence rates for constipation and faecal and urinary incontinence

Vera A Loening Baucke ^1*

¹ University of Iowa College of Medicine, United States

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: vera-loening-baucke{at}uiowa.edu.

Accepted 18 July 2006

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence rates for constipation and faecal and urinary incontinence in children in a primary care setting in the United States.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of all children, 4 to 17 years of age, seen for at least one health maintenance visit during a 6-month period and followed from birth or within the first 6 months of age in our clinics. We reviewed all charts for constipation, faecal incontinence and urinary incontinence.

Results: We included 482 children in the study, after excluding 39 children suffering from chronic diseases. The prevalence rate for constipation was 22.6% and was similar in boys and girls. The constipation was functional in 18% and acute in 4.6%. The prevalence rate for faecal incontinence (>1/week) was 4.4%. The faecal incontinence was coupled with constipation in 95% of our children. The prevalence rate for urinary incontinence was 10.5%; 3.3% for daytime only, 1.8% for daytime with night-time, and 5.4% for night-time urinary incontinence. Faecal and urinary incontinence were significantly more commonly observed in constipated than non-constipated children.

Conclusion: The prevalence rates were 22.6% for constipation, 4.4% for faecal incontinence and 10.5% for urinary incontinence in a US primary care clinic. Constipated children had higher prevalence rates for faecal and urinary incontinence than non-constipated children. Constipated boys had higher rates of faecal incontinence than constipated girls.

Keywords: acute constipation, daytime urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence, functional constipation, night-time urinary incontinence

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