| Summary: | 碩士 === 南華大學 === 自然生物科技學系自然療癒碩士班 === 106 === Background/Aim: The issue of health care needs in an aging society deserves closer consideration/attention. The rise in medical cost and medication expenditure due to constipation in the elderly is particularly imperative. The aim of this study was to explore the factors associated with perceived constipation and its medical management among the elderly.
Methods: A cross-sectional face-to-face questionnaire survey was administered to elderly people aged from 65 to 85 years with self-reported symptoms of perceived constipation in the Yunlin-Chiayi region from April to September, 2017. A total of 369 valid samples was obtained (92.25% completion rate).
Results: Of the surveyed elderly, 61.0% were female, 55% had no daily bowel movement, and 77.5% had at least one chronic disease, of which hypertension was the most common (48.8%). In addition, 74.3% of them were using at least one type of conventional western medicine, of which antihypertensives were the most common (47.7%). The mean score of the Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) was 34.4 (SD±14.3), and the score was significantly higher among the elderly who did not have daily bowel movement compared with those who did (38.9±14.1 vs. 28.8±12.6, P<0.001). The score was significantly associated with poor health (P<0.001), taking two or more types of Western medications (P=0.04), urticaria (P=0.013), menopausal syndrome (P=0.008), anti-allergy medication (P=0.025), antihyperglycemic agents (P=0.040), oral stool softeners (P=0.002), oral laxative (P<0.001), suppository (P=0.004), enema (P=0.001), health food (P=0.049), probiotics (P=0.003), dietary changes (P=0.001), and occasional massage (P=0.004). Furthermore, results from the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that daily bowel movement was significantly associated with educational level, habit of exercise, diabetes mellitus, use of oral stool softeners, use of enema, use of Chinese Medicine and health food.
Conclusion: Constipation was fairly common among the elderly surveyed in this study, especially among those with low education, no exercise, and diabetes. Most of the elderly people used conventional medicine, as well as the following complementary and alternative medicines: health food, probiotics, and dietary approach to manage perceived constipation. Findings from this study can provide medical and health care institutions with information when taking care of elderly patients with constipation, and can be a basis for the development of health care policies for the elderly population.
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