Table 2 Description of participants (N = 321) and comparisons of demographic and independent variables between patients with and without sign and symptoms of constipation and with and without prescribed laxatives
Variables | Total sample N = 321 | Prescribed laxatives N = 192 | Not prescribed laxatives N = 129 | P value | Sign and symptoms of constipation N = 199 | No sign and symptoms of constipation N = 122 | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Demographics | |||||||
Age | |||||||
 Mean (SD) | 84 (8.7) | 84 (9) | 82 (9) | 0.07 | 84 (9) | 83 (9) | 0.37 |
Sex n (%) | |||||||
 Female | 202 (63%) | 122 (64%) | 80 (62%) | 0.78 | 123 (62%) | 79 (65%) | 0.60 |
 Male | 119 (37%) | 70 (36%) | 49 (38%) |  | 76 (38%) | 43 (35%) |  |
Risk assessment | |||||||
MNA n (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 No risk | 88 (27%) | 50 (26%) | 38 (30%) | 0.50 | 50 (25%) | 38 (31%) | 0.24 |
 At risk | 156 (49%) | 142 (74%) | 91 (71%) |  | 149 (75%) | 84 (69%) |  |
BMI n (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Underweight | 105 (33%) | 58 (31%) | 47 (37%) | 0.25 | 60 (31%) | 45 (37%) | 0.22 |
 Normal weight | 213 (67%) | 132 (69%) | 81 (63%) |  | 137 (69%) | 76 (63%) |  |
Norton n (%) | |||||||
 No risk | 219 (68%) | 125 (65%) | 94 (73%) | 0.12 | 127 (64%) | 92 (75%) | 0.035 |
 At risk | 101 (32%) | 67 (35%) | 34 (27%) |  | 71 (36%) | 30 (25%) |  |
Downton n (%) | |||||||
 No risk | 47 (15%) | 25 (13%) | 22 (17%) | 0.32 | 24 (12%) | 23 (19%) | 0.09 |
 At risk | 274 (85%) | 167 (87%) | 107 (83%) |  | 175 (88%) | 99 (81%) |  |
Medical diagnoses/comorbidity | |||||||
Charlson Comorbidity Index | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Median (Q1-Q3) | 2.0 (0–11) | 2 (0–11) | 3 (0–10) | 0.17 | 2 (0–11) | 2 (0–9) | 0.63 |
 Prescribed medications |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Laxatives during hospitalization | 192 (60%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Yes |  |  |  |  | 159 (80%) | 32 (27%) |  < 0.001 |
 No |  |  |  |  | 40 (20%) | 89 (73%) |  |
Opioids n (%) | 61 (50%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Yes |  | 111 (58%) | 50 (39%) | 0.001 | 115 (58%) | 46 (38%) |  < 0.001 |
 No |  | 81 (42%) | 79 (61%) |  | 84 (42%) | 76 (62%) |  |
Anticholinergics n (%) | 44 (14%) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Yes |  | 30 (16%) | 14 (11%) | 0.223 | 31 (16%) | 13 (11%) | 0.21 |
 No |  | 162 (84%) | 115 (89%) |  | 168 (84%) | 109 (89%) |  |
Length of stay | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Length of stay, days Median (Q1–Q3) | 9 (7–12) | 10 (8–13) | 8 (7–11) | < 0.001 | 10 (8–13) | 9 (7–11) | 0.004 |