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Prevalence and associated clinical characteristics of behavior problems in constipated children

Marieke van Dijk1, Marc A Benninga, Martha A Grootenhuis

  • 1MSc, Emma Children's Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Psychosocial Department, Room G8-224, PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, Netherlands. m.vandijk@amc.uva.nl

Pediatrics
|January 20, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Behavior problems are prevalent in children with functional constipation, with long treatment duration and nighttime urinary incontinence being significant risk factors. Early behavioral screening is recommended for early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Child Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Functional constipation is a common condition in children.
  • Behavioral problems frequently co-occur with functional constipation.
  • Understanding these associations is crucial for comprehensive care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of overall, internalizing, and externalizing behavior problems in children with functional constipation.
  • To identify clinical characteristics of constipation associated with these behavior problems.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized baseline data from 133 children (aged 4-18) in a randomized controlled trial.
  • Assessed behavior problems using the Child Behavior Checklist.
  • Employed logistic regression models to analyze associations between constipation characteristics and behavior problems.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence rates for overall (36.8%), internalizing (36.1%), and externalizing (27.1%) behavior problems were significantly higher than in the general population.
  • Longer treatment duration was strongly associated with overall and externalizing behavior problems.
  • Nighttime urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and large stools were linked to increased risk of specific behavior problems.

Conclusions:

  • Behavior problems are common in pediatric functional constipation patients.
  • Clinical characteristics like duration of constipation, incontinence, and stool size are associated with behavior problems.
  • Behavioral screening should be integrated into the diagnostic process for children with constipation.
Abstract

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