Effective of education on quality of life and constipation severity in patients with primary constipation

This study was conducted to examine the effect of education on quality of life and constipation severity in patients with primary constipation.

This randomised controlled study was conducted with 80 patients who applied at the gastroenterology outpatient clinic of a university hospital. In the study, the Constipation Questionnaire, Constipation Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (PAC-QOL), and Constipation Severity Instrument (CSI) were used.

It was that found after 4 weeks of education, the total PAC-QOL mean score decreased to 60.85 ± 5.65 and total CSI mean score decreased to 20.17 ± 4.05 in the intervention group (p < 0.001). No change was observed in the patients in the control group (p > 0.05). After 4 weeks, a statistical difference was found between the two groups in PAC-QOL mean score and CSI mean score (p < 0.05).

It was determined that the education given to individuals with primary constipation decreased the constipation severity and increased the quality of life.

Constipation education will make a contribution to the active use of follow-up forms by nurses in the clinic for the diagnosis of constipation, individual assessment of each patient, and their active role in constipation management.