Exploring Community Perspectives on Functional Paediatric Habitual Constipation

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 21; no. 8; p. 1017
• Main Authors: Al Khashram, Nawaf, Al Abdulqader, Ahmad A, Alarfaj, Haytham Mohammed, Bu Bshait, Mohammed Saad, Kamal, Ahmed Hassan, Zakaria, Ossama M, Albarqi, Mohammed Nasser, Almulhim, Mohannad Adnan, Almousa, Mazin Abdulwahab, Almaqhawi, Abdullah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02.08.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Children & youth; Community; Constipation; Constipation - physiopathology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Families & family life; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Knowledge; Laxatives; Male; Middle Aged; Parents - psychology; Pediatrics; Polyethylene glycol; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Sample size; Saudi Arabia; Social networks; Software; Surveys and Questionnaires; Toilet facilities; Toilet training; Validity; Variance analysis; Young Adult; Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia; paediatrics; habitual constipation
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21081017

(1) Background: Functional habitual constipation (FC) in children is a common gastrointestinal problem. This study aimed to explore the local community's view on this problem, emphasising the challenges that parents face in managing the condition and its impact on the child's quality of life. (2) Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted between March and July 2023. The survey received 933 responses. The target population was adults over 18 years of age living in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. An electronically distributed questionnaire was designed in the Arabic language. (3) Results: The mean knowledge scores were significantly higher in females than males, with t (931) = -2.701 and = 0.007. The Bonferroni post hoc test results indicated that participants between 20 and 29 years exhibited significantly higher levels of knowledge scores compared to those between 30 and 39 years. Furthermore, the results revealed that those with three or more children had significantly higher knowledge scores compared to those with only one child. (4) Conclusions: This study demonstrated that parents in the local community have a good perceived knowledge of FC, but it needs to be linked with practice. They tended to report high levels of perception and demonstrated better practices. These results emphasise the importance of exploring the local community's view on constipation among children.