Table 4 Prevalence of symptoms associated with constipation as per the Rome III criteria
From: Defining constipation to estimate its prevalence in the community: results from a national survey
Symptom | All participants (n = 2024) | Participants with chronic constipation according to the Rome III criteria (n = 485) | Participants with sub-chronic constipation according to the modified Rome III criteria (n = 801) |
|---|---|---|---|
Fewer than 3 bowel motions per week | 19.6% (397) | 46.2% (224) | 42.1% (337) |
Straining | 29.2% (590) | 79.2% (384) | 70.8% (567) |
Hard stools | 36.8% (744) | 78.8% (382) | 75.8% (607) |
Incomplete evacuation | 38.4% (778) | 82.9% (402) | 77.3% (619) |
Perceived blockage | 22.5% (457) | 64.1% (311) | 55.8% (447) |
Manual manoeuvres | 11.0% (222) | 35.5% (172) | 26.2% (210) |