Functional Constipation and Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome in the General Population: Data from the GECCO Study
Table 1
Test for self-selection biases between those providing a post address for sending the questionnaire and those who did not and between those who send back the questionnaire and those who did not. Compared are the data provided during the telephone interview prior to asking for the postal address. Data are unweighted.
Questionnaire received
Questionnaire returned
Yes:
No:
Stats
Yes:
No:
Stats
Personal data
Age (mean, SD)
51.3 ± 0.6
49.9 ± 0.6
n.s.
55.3 ± 0.7
46.0 ± 0.9
Male : female
352 : 685
453 : 750
n.s.
201 : 388
151 : 297
n.s.
Height (m)
1.69 ± 0.01
1.69 ± 0.01
n.s.
1.69 ± 0.01
1.69 + 0.01
n.s.
Weight (kg)
74.6 ± 0.5
74.9 ± 0.2
n.s.
74.7 ± 0.7
74.5 ± 0.9
n.s.
BMI
26.1 ± 0.2
25.9 ± 0.1
n.s.
26.2 ± 0.2
26.0 ± 0.3
n.s.
Social situation
Education: secondary+
256
284
n.s.
155
101
Full-time/part time (1)
375
449
1/2 versus 3/5 4 excluded: n.s.
195
179
1/2 versus 3/5 4 excluded:
Mini job, occasional (2)
72
86
46
27
Not working, training (3)
186
244
94
92
Parent time (4)
54
39
18
35
Retired (5)
347
379
234
113
Income: >2,500€/mo
284
221
160
123
n.s.
Life satisfaction
Fully (1)
309
350
1/2 versus 3/4:
186
123
1/2 versus 3/4:
Rather (2)
531
689
308
223
Rather not (3)
134
111
68
66
Not at all (4)
59
49
25
34
General health
Very good (1)
111
141
1/2 versus 3/4/5: n.s.
63
48
1/2 versus 3/4/5: n.s.
Good (2)
360
421
217
143
Satisfactory (3)
305
351
168
137
Less good (4)
166
176
91
74
Bad (5)
90
113
48
43
Health problems
Sick the last 4 wks: no
705
899
410
295
n.s.
Back pain: yes
684
771
n.s.
390
293
n.s.
Circulation: yes
433
486
n.s.
225
208
Gynacological: yes
106/685
91/750
n.s.
61/388
44/297
n.s.
Urological: yes
145
156
n.s.
82
63
n.s.
Gastrointestinal: yes
330
377
n.s.
189
141
n.s.
Constipation characteristics
Duration (years)
9.7 ± 0.5
9.2 ± 0.5
n.s.
11.3 ± 0.7
7.8 ± 0.6
12 months’ prevalence
614
762
352
262
n.s.
4 weeks’ prevalence
422
441
237
185
n.s.
Acute constipation
196
191
104
92
n.s.
To doctor
240
200
131
109
n.s.
Medication
353
345
194
159
n.s.
<3 stools/week
380
398
199
181
Straining
659
653
388
271
n.s.
Hard stools
764
830
439
325
n.s.
+Number with secondary school finished (maturation); Statistics: -test or chi-square test; n.s.: not significant.
