Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Self-perceived normality in defecation habits.

M Bellini1, P Alduini, G Bassotti

  • 1Gastroenterology Section, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy.

Digestive and Liver Disease : Official Journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver
|November 3, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Intraoperative nerve monitoring in thyroid and parathyroid surgery: a decade of Italian practice.

Updates in surgery·2025
Same author

Correction: Consensus‑driven protocol for transanal irrigation in patients with low anterior resection syndrome and functional constipation.

Techniques in coloproctology·2025
Same author

Longitudinal DTI analysis of microstructural changes in lumbar nerve roots following Interspinous process device placement.

Magnetic resonance imaging·2024
Same author

Feasibility of IAPWG protocol in performing high-definition three-dimensional anorectal manometry: A prospective, multicentric italian study.

Techniques in coloproctology·2024
Same author

Position paper on transanal irrigation in chronic non-organic constipation.

Digestive and liver disease : official journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver·2024
Same author

Correction to: Transanal irrigation in functional bowel disorders and LARS: short‑term results from an Italian national study.

Techniques in coloproctology·2023

Most individuals with normal defecation habits experience fewer than three bowel movements daily and at least three weekly. Symptoms of abnormal bowel function are uncommon in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Digestive Health
  • Bowel Function Research

Background:

  • Previous studies on normal bowel habits relied on less reliable methods like telephone interviews and mailed questionnaires.
  • Limited prospective data exists on the defecatory patterns of individuals who perceive their bowel habits as normal.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To prospectively evaluate the defecatory habits of individuals who consider their bowel function to be normal.
  • To establish a baseline for normal bowel movements and associated symptoms.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study involving 204 participants who perceived their defecation behavior as normal.
  • Participants completed a 4-week diary with daily "yes-no" answers to six questions about bowel habits.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • 140 questionnaires were returned; no significant sex or age differences were observed.
  • While straining and incomplete evacuation showed a trend to increase with age, less than 10% reported symptoms of abnormal defecatory behavior.
  • No subject reported fewer than three bowel movements per week or more than three per day.

Conclusions:

  • In subjects with normal defecation, symptoms meeting Rome II criteria for abnormal behavior occur in less than 10%.
  • Manual maneuvers to aid defecation are rarely used, and a minimum of three bowel movements per week is standard.