Title: Role of Diet and Body Mass Index on the pattern of bowel habits among students
Authors: Dr Sajitha N, Dr Praseeda S, Dr Beena Kumari R
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v8i3.112
Abstract
Background: The pattern of bowel habits, as well as functional bowel disturbances tend to vary among different populations and is influenced by factors such as diet and body mass index. Assessing the bowel habits in a population will help to determine the normal defecatory pattern in that population and introduce lifestyle and dietary modifications to regularize bowel function,
Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted among the students of a tertiary care hospital in Kerala to study i) the bowel habits and subjective bowel disturbances among students.ii)study the association of factors such as body mass index and diet with the pattern of bowel habits in the same population.
Methods: Details were collected from 600 participants, regarding stool pattern, bowel symptoms and consumption frequency and amount of different food items. Height and weight was recorded and BMI calculated. Chi- square analysis was done for qualitative data.
Result: The predominant stool form was Bristol type 3 stool (sausage shaped stools with cracks on the surface) according to Bristol stool chart and the median stool frequency was 1-2 per day or 7-14 times per week. Water and vegetable consumption was associated with softer stool consistency. Consumption of vegetables was also associated with more frequent stool and less symptoms of abdominal discomfort. Consumption of chocolates was associated with hard stools while coffee consumption was associated with reduction in stool frequency. Increased milk consumption was associated with watery stool consistency.
Conclusion: Inclusion of more vegetables in diet, drinking adequate water and limiting the intake of coffee ,chocolates and milk will help to regularize bowel moments
Keywords: Diet, bowel, stool, water, vegetables.
References
- Manas Kumar Panigrahi, Sanjib Kumar Kar, Shivaram Prasad Singh,Uday C Ghoshal. Defecation Frequency and Stool Form in a Coastal Eastern Indian Population. Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility 2013;Vol 9:No3;374-380
- W Heaton, J Radvan, H Crips, RA Mountford, FEM Braddon, AO Huges Defecation frequency and timing, and stool form in the general population: a prospective Study. Gut 1992;33:818-24
- Ghoshal UC, Abraham P, Bhatt C, et al. Epidemiological and clinical profile of irritable bowel syndrome in India: report of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology Task Force. Indian J Gastroenterol. 2008;27;22-28.
- Felix Olukayode, Akinbami, James O, Okereke, Adebole Emmanuel Orimadegun. The bowel habits of adolescents in Nigeria. Tropical Gastroenterology 2010;31(4): 295-302
- Nagata N, Sakamoto K, Arai T, Niikura R, Shimbo T, Shinozaki M, etal..Effect of Body Mass Index and Intra-Abdominal Fat Measured by Computed Tomography on the Risk of Bowel Symptoms. PLoSONE 2015; 10(4) :e0123993. doi:10.1371/journal.pone5
- Talley NJ et al.The association of upper and lower gastrointestinal tract symptoms with body mass index in an Australian cohort. Neurogastro Motil 2004;16:413–19.
- Talley N, Howell S, Poulton R. Obesity and chronic gastrointestinal tract symptoms in young adults: a birth cohort study. Am J Gastroenterol 2004;99:1807–14.
- Klauser AG, Beck A, Schindlbeck NE, Muller-Lissner SA. Low fluid intake lowers stool output in healthy male volunteers. Zeitschrift fur Gastroenterology 1990;28:606-9
- Miguel A Sanjoaquin, Paul N Appleby, Elizabeth A Spencer and Timothy J Key. Nutrition and lifestyle in relation to bowel movement frequency: across-sectional study of 20 630 men and women in EPIC–Oxford Public Health. Nutrition2003: 7(1), 77–83
- Anti M, Pignataro G, Armuzzi A, Valenti A, Iascone E,Marmo R, Lamaszza A, Pretaroli AR, Pace V, Leo P, CastelliA, Gasbarrini G. Water supplementation enhances the effect of high-fibre diet on stool frequency and laxative consumption in adult patients with function constipation. Hepato-Gastroenterology 1998; 45:727-3217
- Miguel A Sanjoaquin PNA, Elizabeth A Spencer, Timothy J Key. Nutrition and lifestyle in relation to bowel movement frequency: a cross-sectional study of 20 630men and women in EPIC-Oxford,. Public Health Nutrition 2003; 7(1):77-8[83]
- Sandler RS, Jordan MC, Shelton BJ. Demographic and dietary determinants of constipation in the US population. Am J Public Health 1990;80:185
- Laurent Dukas ,Walter C. Willett.Association Between Physical Activity, Fiber Intake,and Other Lifestyle Variables and Constipation in a Study of Women .The American Journal of Gastroenterology2003; Vol. 98:442-8.
- Acquaviva F, De Francesco A, Andriulli A, et al. Effect of regular and decaffinated coffee on serum gastrin levels. J Clin Gastroenterol 1986; 8: 150
- E Krag, S Arffmann, M Jørgensen.Tea consumption: a cause of constipation? . Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1981 Mar 14; 282(6267): 864
- Murakami, K., Okubo, H. and Sasaki, S. Dietary Intake in Relation to Self-Reported Constipation among Japa- nese Women Aged 18 - 20 Years. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition2006; 60: 650-657
- Muller Lissnera et al. The perceived effect of various foods and beverages on stool consistency. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2005 Jan;17(1)109-12
- Iacono G., Cavataio F., Montalto G., Florena A., Tumminello M., Soresi M., Notarbartolo A., Carroccio A. Intolerance of cow’s milk and chronic constipation in children. Engl. J. Med. 1998;339:1100–1104.
- Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, Nineteenth Edition, Edited by Kasper, Anthony Fauci, Stephen Hauser, Dan Longo, J. Larry Jameson, Joseph Loscalzo, Copy right McGraw-Hill Companies, Page 1965-1959
- P et al. "The effect of fiber supplementation on irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.". The American journal of gastroenterology 2014; 109 (9): 1367–74.