Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary and lifestyle factors related to bowel pattern of female high school and college students in Gyeonggi Province. The total of 202 self-administered questionnaires (high school students 77;college students 125) were analyzed. All respondents were devided into four groups based on their self-reported pattern of defecation:18 subjects (9.0%) comprised the normal group, 73 (36.1%) the constipation group, 73 (36.1%) the constipation/diarrhea group, and 38 (18.8%) the diarrhea group. Regularity of exercise was significantly higher in the college students than high school students, and times spending on a chair were longer in the high school students than college students. Most students (72.7%) reported that they had stress. Fourty point six percent of the subjects reported that they had 3 meals per day, which tended to be higher in the normal and diarrhea group than constipation and constipation/diarrhea group. Most students (69.7) skipped breakfast which was lower in the normal group than the other groups. The most preferred dietary fiber food was korean cabbage kimchi. Fifty-eight point four percent of the subjects reported that they had irregular bowel movement. Bowel movement was more irregular in the high school students than college students, and in the constipation group than the other groups. Of the subjects, 77.7% had defecation frequency between three per week and three per day. Those who spent within 10 minutes for defecation were 79.6%, and those had difficulty in evacuating were 76.0%. High school students and those with constipation and constipation/diarrhea had a significantly lower defecation frequency, longer time spent at the toilet, and greater difficulty in evacuating than college students and normal and diarrhea group. The percentage of those who had feelings of residue in the intestine after defecation was 92.5%, and it was greater in the constipation or diarrhea group than in the normal group. Most students (93.5%) reported that they had abdominal pain or discomfort. These results suggest that decreasing times spending on a chair, decreasing stress, keeping 3 meal per day at regular hours, and increasing dietary fiber intake are associated with desirable bowel pattern.

• Keywords: bowel habit; dietary habit; lifestyle; dietary fiber