Dietary Intake and Symptom Severity in Women with Fecal Incontinence

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Nutrition Science
• Women's Health

Background:

• Fecal incontinence (FI) significantly impacts women's quality of life.
• Dietary factors, including fat and fiber intake, are often considered in managing bowel dysfunction.
• The specific relationship between dietary fat/fiber and FI severity requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between dietary fat and fiber intake and the severity of fecal incontinence (FI) in women.
• To analyze correlations between nutritional intake and validated measures of FI severity and bowel function.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial involving women with FI.
• Assessment of dietary fat and fiber intake using a food screener questionnaire.
• Measurement of FI severity via the St. Mark's (Vaizey) FI severity scale and a 7-day bowel diary.

Main Results:

• 186 women were analyzed; mean fat intake was 32% of calories, and mean fiber intake was 13.9 g/day.
• Fat intake was at the higher end of recommended values, while fiber intake was below recommendations.
• No significant correlation was found between FI severity scores and fat or fiber intake (p > 0.05).
• A weak negative correlation was observed between total fat intake and the number of FI-free days (r = -0.20, p = 0.008).

Conclusions:

• Dietary fat and fiber intake were not associated with fecal incontinence severity in women with moderate to severe FI.
• A potential, albeit weak, link between higher fat consumption and increased FI frequency warrants further dietary assessment in clinical evaluations.