Frequencies of Different Risk Factors for Functional Constipation in Pediatric Population: Experience from Tertiary Care Center of Bangladesh

Background: Functional constipation is a common pediatric dilemma. It causes psychological stress, behavioural abnormality and growth impairment. In our country constipation in children is frequently overlooked and desired evaluation is often ignored. Factual knowledge viewing risk factors of constipation will lead to proper evaluation and early diagnosis which will ensure timely management of constipation. Methods: This was cross-sectional study, carried out in Paediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition Department, BSMMU from January to December 2022. Total 75 children aged 2-16 years were enrolled here. Samples were collected purposively from outpatient department with consent of parents. Diagnosis of functional constipation was made by Rome IV criteria. Children who fulfilled ROME IV criteria were evaluated for risk factors of constipation. Result: We included 75 children in our study where 56% were male and 44% were female. Constipation was more prevalent in 6 to 10 years (42.7 %). Most common risk factors were unhygienic (69.3%), inadequate toilets (61.7 %) in academic area and during school hours child’s embarrassment (65.1%) to use toilet. We observed long duration academic activity (48 %), reading in madrasa (46.6 %), screen time more than two hours (60 %), preference of indoor games (56 %) and child maltreatment (physical abuse 10.6 %; emotional abuse 25.3 %; familial disharmony 18.6 %) as potential risk factors. Inadequate fibre (53.3%) & fluid intake (50.6%), regular junk food consumption (48%) and cow’s milk ingestion (34.7 %) were diet related influence of FC. Conclusion: Infrequent number and unclean toilet in academic premises, child’s embarrassment to use toilet during school hours, long duration educational activity, use of screen time daily two hours or more, preference of indoor games & lack of physical activity, child maltreatment and familial disharmony were found as frequent risk factors. Regular cow’s milk ingestion, junk food consumption, inadequate Fiber and fluid intake and regular were frequent dietary risk factors. J Dhaka Med Coll. 2024; 33(2) : 74-79